CARMEN

The Artistic Team

Conductor - Antony Walker
Stage Director - Garnett Bruce
Set Designer - R. Keith Brumley
Costume Designer - Sarasota Opera Association, Inc.
Lighting Designer - Andrew Ostrowski
Wig and Make-up Designer - James Geier
Stage Manager - Cindy Knight
Asst Stage Manager- Phil Gold
Asst Stage Manager- Hannah Nathan
Asst Conductor - Glenn Lewis
Chorus Master - Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist - James Lesniak
Asst Stage Director - Kaley Karis Smith*
Asst Wig and Make-up Designer - Nicole Pagano

Music by Georges Bizet
Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

_{+    Pittsburgh Opera debut
*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist
**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni} 

Production owned by Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Scenery provided by Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Costumes provided by Sarasota Opera
Dancers and choreography provided by Attack Theatre

ACT I. In Seville by a cigarette factory, soldiers comment on the townspeople. Among them is Micaëla, a peasant girl, who asks for a corporal named Don José. Moralès, another corporal, tells her he will return with the changing of the guard. The relief guard, headed by Lieutenant Zuniga, soon arrives, and José learns from Moralès that Micaëla has been looking for him.

When the factory bell rings, the men of Seville gather to watch the female workers— especially their favorite, Carmen. She tells her admirers that love is free and obeys no rules ("L’amour est un oiseau rebelle"). Only one man pays no attention to her: Don José. Carmen throws a flower at him, and the girls go back to work. José picks up the flower and hides it when Micaëla returns. She brings a letter from José’s mother, who lives in a village in the countryside ("Ma mere, je la vois"). As he begins to read the letter, Micaëla leaves.

José is about to throw away the flower when a fight erupts inside the factory between Carmen and another girl. Zuniga sends José to retrieve Carmen. She refuses to answer Zuniga’s questions, and José is ordered to take her to prison. Left alone with him, she entices Jose with suggestions of a rendezvous at Lillas Pastia’s tavern ("Près des remparts de Séville"). Mesmerized, he agrees to let her get away. As they leave for prison, Carmen escapes. Don José is arrested.

ACT II. Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercédès entertain the guests at the tavern ("Les tringles des sistres tintaient"). Zuniga tells Carmen that José has just been released. The bullfighter Escamillo enters, boasting about the pleasures of his profession ("Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre"), and flirts with Carmen, who tells him that she is involved with someone else.

After the tavern guests have left with Escamillo, the smugglers Dancaïre and Remendado explain their latest scheme to the women ("Nous avons en tête une affaire"). Frasquita and Mercédès are willing to help, but Carmen refuses because she is in love. The smugglers withdraw as José approaches.

Carmen arouses José's jealousy by telling him how she danced for Zuniga. She dances for him now, but when a bugle call is heard he says he must return to the barracks ("Je vais danser en votre honneur"). Carmen mocks him. To prove his love, José shows her the flower she threw at him and confesses how its scent made him not lose hope during the weeks in prison ("La fleur que tu m’avais jetée"). She is unimpressed: if he really loved her, he would desert the army and join her in a life of freedom in the mountains. José refuses, and Carmen tells him to leave. Zuniga bursts in, and in a jealous rage José fights him. The smugglers return and disarm Zuniga. José now has no choice but to join them.

ACT III. Carmen and José quarrel in the smugglers’ mountain hideaway. She admits that her love is fading and advises him to return to live with his mother. When Frasquita and Mercédès turn the cards to tell their fortunes, they foresee love and riches for themselves, but Carmen’s cards spell death—for her and for José ("Melons! Coupons!").

Micaëla appears, frightened by the mountains and afraid to meet the woman who has turned José into a criminal ("Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante"). She hides when a shot rings out. José has fired at an intruder, who turns out to be Escamillo. He tells José that he has come to find Carmen, and the two men fight ("Je suis Escamillo"). The smugglers separate them, and Escamillo invites everyone, Carmen in particular, to his next bullfight.

When he has left, Micaëla emerges and begs José to return home. He agrees when he learns that his mother is dying, but before he leaves he warns Carmen that they will meet again.

ACT IV. Back in Seville, the crowd cheers the bullfighters on their way to the arena ("A deux cuartos"). Carmen arrives on Escamillo’s arm, and Frasquita and Mercédès warn her that Jose is nearby. Unafraid, she waits outside the entrance as the crowds enter the arena. Jose appears and begs Carmen to forget the past and start a new life with him ("C’est toi! C’est moi!"). She calmly tells him that their affair is over: she was born free and free she will die. The crowd is heard cheering Escamillo. José keeps trying to win Carmen back. She takes off his ring and throws it at his feet before heading for the arena. José stabs her to death.

- Adapated from Opera News

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Here are some details and resources to help. Also visit our Opera FAQs or our Accessibility page.

• Run time: 2 hours and 50 minutes including two intermissions

• Understand Every Word: Carmen is sung in French, but has English supertitles projected above the stage at all performances

• Download the Carmen study guide

• Parking Downtown: get real-time parking availability

• Pre-Opera Talks before each performance

• Braille Programs available at The Benedum Center

• Large-Print Programs available at The Benedum Center

CHILD POLICY:

• Children must be ages 6 and up. Suggestions and tips for bringing children to the opera may be found at pittsburghopera.org/FAQ.
• All children must have a ticket. There is a 50% discount for kids and teens ages 6-18.
• Children who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of these performances must have COVID test results as detailed at pittsburghopera.org/COVID. Guests under 12, and guests younger than 18 without a photo ID, must be accompanied by an adult who meets the requirements at pittsburghopera.org/COVID.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has implemented new security and bag policies, effective starting October 1, 2016, at the Benedum Center and their other venues.

You can read their Safety & Security statement, which includes an updated list of prohibited items, and read their Bag Policy, on their website.

• onStage Pittsburgh - Review - Colorful & Lively Production is Well Worth the Wait
• Entertainment Central Pittsburgh - Review - Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘Carmen’: A Wondrous Roller Coaster of Love
• Post-Gazette - Review  
• City Paper - Dress Rehearsal 'behind the scenes': Pittsburgh Opera brings Carmen to the stage with iconic melodies, stellar performances
• Steubenville Herald-Star - History in the Hills, the Grand Opera House
• Observer-Reporter - GO! List 4-1-22
• Entertainment Central Pittsburgh - March Theater Guide: Mostly Modern 
• OperaWire - Zanda Švēde Headlines Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘Carmen’
• Pittsburgh Owl Scribe - Pittsburgh Opera presents Carmen March 26 – April 3
• Latrobe Bulletin - Pittsburgh Opera to present 'Carmen' March 26 – April 3 at Benedum Center
• Herald Standard - Pittsburgh Opera presents "Carmen" starting March 26
• Observer-Reporter - Pittsburgh Opera presents "Carmen" starting March 26
• The Incline - Meet the DIY Diva bringing "Carmen" to Pittsburgh
• onStage Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Opera – Twice Cancelled “Carmen” is Finally a “Go”
• NEXTpittsburgh - What to do this week
• WQED Voice of The Arts podcast interviews:
  • Zanda Švēde (Carmen)
  • Scott Quinn (Don José)
  • Maestro Antony Walker
  • Stage Director Garnett Bruce
• Jewish Chronicle - Pittsburgh Opera singer prepares for ‘Carmen’
• City Paper - The top events in Pittsburgh for March 24-30
• Observer-Reporter - GO! List 3-25-22
• Trib-Live - 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: March 25-27
• Entertainment Central Pittsburgh - Cool Picks - Pittsburgh Opera Opens ‘Carmen’ at Benedum

Street urchins (Pittsburgh Youth Chorus members) mimic the changing of the guards in Seville.

Carmen (Zanda Švēde) sings how love is wild and obeys no laws.

Zuniga (Jeremy Harr) tries to restore order after a fight at the cigarette factory.

Micaëla (Danielle Pastin) delivers Don José (Scott Quinn) a message from his mother.

Carmen (Zanda Švēde) coyly convinces Don José (Scott Quinn) to release her after her arrest.

At Lillas Pastia's tavern, the joint is jumping!

Escamillo (Michael Todd Simpson) sings of the glories of the bullfighting life.

Frasquita (Véronique Filloux), Mercédès (Leah Heater), Carmen (Zanda Švēde), Remendado (Andrew Turner), and Dancäire (Yazid Gray) agree that ‘when it comes to trickery, deceit, and thieving, you need a woman’s help.’

Don José (Scott Quinn) tells Carmen of his love for her.

Frasquita (Véronique Filloux) and Mercédès (Leah Heater) use tarot cards to learn their futures.

The lady smugglers are confident they can get their illicit goods past the customs checkpoint, since customs officers "will do anything for a woman."

Micaëla (Danielle Pastin) bravely searches for Don José in the smuggler's hideout.

The townspeople are excited for the upcoming bullfight.

"Opera Up Close: Carmen" - Pittsburgh Opera Director of Artistic Operations Robert Boldin interviews Carmen's stage director Garnett Bruce, Zanda Švēde (Carmen), Danielle Pastin (Micaëla) and maestro Antony Walker.

Find out what audience members have to say about Carmen! (Video by Julius Thomas)