Don Jose in “Carmen,” tenor
continued from E1 and “Carmen” in particular. Don José is such a visceral reactor and such an emotional guy. He has such empathy and cares so much for the people around him, to the point that it drives him mad. These are the characters I enjoy playing onstage because in many ways it’s a cathartic release for me.
Along with the music, I think that one of the many reasons opera continues to endure today is that audiences rarely get to see live spectacle. “Carmen” is one of those operas that as intimate as it becomes, will always have these great scenes and spectacle. It’s not something we get from a screen much these days. A feast for the eyes and ears!
Dayton Opera Artist-inResidence, Mercedes and Carmen’s understudy
Not only do I owe my love of opera to my grandfather, but I owe my very existence to Bizet’s “Carmen.” My grandfather lived on Staten Island as a young man, and would take the ferry to Manhattan to go to the Metropolitan Opera. At the time, there were cheap seats available at the very last moment on the nights of the performances, and he would risk the trip for the chance to get a ticket.
My grandfather took my grandmother to the opera on their very first date. Considering that it was her first time seeing an opera, and there was a chance that they might not have been able to get tickets that night, it was a risky first date! That opera was “Carmen.”
I listened to many operas when I was a little girl, singing along, but I always had a special connection to “Carmen.” I would put on my mother’s long skirt and dance around the living room to the “Gypsy Song.” “Carmen” was actually the first opera I was in after high school. I know that my grandfather would have loved to be able to see this production.
Dayton Ballet artistic director
Bizet is always so wonderful to dance to! His music has so much movement built into it. It is very passionate and visceral, everything dancers need to stir them. I enjoy the Spanish flavor that the choreography needs to have.
My first experience with “Carmen” was when Dayton Ballet did Septime Webre’s “Carmen.” I had not danced or choreographed “Carmen” in the past. The challenges of incorporating dance into opera is space. The sets are very large for opera and are more complex than in dance. The spaces are very tricky and don’t lend themselves to large dance numbers.
For this production, the dancers will appear in four small segments. We have 19 in the company and there will be a few in each scene. They will also be in other scenes with the chorus and principal singers.
Kettering Children’s Choir artistic director
Our singers love the opportunity to be a part of a grand production and to be able to wear make-up and put on costumes. This is quite unique compared to the traditional choral experience. The most challenging aspect of “Carmen” for our students is that they’re singing in French.
This opera contains real life content — content that audiences can connect with. I think that the combination of this content with the outstanding music is what has made this opera so endearing.
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra concertmaster
I think the seductive and beguiling nature of the character of Carmen is actually inherent in the music. Bizet perfectly captured her charms so that when we hear her sing or even just listen to the orchestral introductions and interludes, we fall under her spell. This is also the signature role for a mezzo-soprano, and there is something about the lower, earthier, and huskier tambre of this voice type (compared to a soprano’s) that draws you in.
The biggest difficulty with any opera is stamina, as we are providing nonstop music throughout the entire show, from the first introduction of the heroine and meeting of the lovers until (spoiler alert) her tragic demise.
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra conductor
“Carmen” is one of the most tuneful operas around. Lurking below the surface of the tunefulness is the immense power of the music to convey the emotional currents in the story. The tunes lure you in, but the power of the music is what really gets you. What I particularly enjoy about conducting “Carmen” is the challenge of taking something that everyone knows — or thinks they know — and making it fresh and emotionally compelling.
“Carmen” is a piece that was written to shock audiences. Except for Micaela (a village maiden), every single character in the opera is a “low-life” of one type or another. There’s a lot of seedy stuff in the story — at least seedy for 1875! Over the years, its popularity and familiarity have softened the punch that the opera packed when it first was seen. So
IF YOU GO
The Dayton Opera’s production of “Carmen” featuring the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Ballet and the Dayton Opera Chorus and Kettering Children’s Choir.
8 p.m. Friday, May 19 and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 21.
Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center
From $32 to $98 available at www. daytonperformingarts. org or by calling Ticket Center Stage at 937228-3630. Senior and student discounts are available.
One hour prior to the performance, University of Dayton music professor Sam Dorf will shed light on the production.“Opera bites” are available for purchase in the Wintergarden before the performance and at the first intermission. the challenge is to restore that edgy quality. “Carmen” should be an emotional roller coaster for the audience, and I hope we’ll give everyone a really exciting ride!