By Kate Neeley
Bizet’s French Opera Carmen tells the story of the wild and seductive Gypsy girl of the same name (Audrey Babcock), and Utah Festival Opera takes it to the next level under the direction of Valerie Rachelle with Karen Keltner leading the orchestra in some of the richest and most familiar music of its kind.
UFOMT’s gorgeous set (Robert Little) and costumes (Emily Stovall) take you straight to the 19th Century Spanish village of Seville. And not only that, but the wigs and makeup (Melyssa Swensen) bring the characters to life in an exceptionally realistic way.
Carmen is a femme fatale who seems to seduce her way into the attention and fancy of almost everyone in the village – but none more so than Don José (Isaac Hurtado). Under her spell, he frees her from bonds under his watch, getting himself thrown into prison. He abandons his childhood sweetheart Michaela (Kara Goodrich) and deserts his military responsibilities to chase after his tantalizing passion for her.
The large Ensemble produces some powerful and beautiful sound, which is only matched by how entertaining their acting is – there is no lack as far as energy from every single member of the cast.
One standout in this production of Carmen is the full Children’s Chorus, who light up the stage and
fill the theatre with bright music. Directed by Jeremy Adriano, with backstage helper Carrie Jackson, these super talented kids add such a wonderful lighter element to an otherwise intense and heavy
story.
Sound (Bryan Z. Richards) and light (Monica Bowker and Joshua Wroblewski) are both flawless, making it easy to be drawn into the story and not distracted by being unable to hear. To add, there are English
Subtitles to make it easy to follow whether you know French or not.
Even the details of things like a knife here and there and a rope add in the perfect element of drama as props (Alexander Graham).
An exciting and dramatic production, UFOMT’s Carmen is sure to spice up your life and break your heart in one of the most passionate performances of Bizet’s masterpiece.
Catch yourself some tickets to closing night, and some bittersweet pizzazz as summer comes to a close.
Utah Festival Opera presents Carmen, by Georges Bizet, libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy,
based on the novella by Prosper Mérimée.
Ellen Eccles Theatre, 43 S Main Street, Logan, UT 84321
August 5, 2022 7:30 PM
Tickets: $22-$82
Contact: 800-262-0074, ext 3
Utah Opera Festival Facebook Page
Carmen promotional video
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