Atlanta Opera to Open 2012-13 Season with Bizet's CARMEN Tonight, 11/10

Tonight, November 10 at 8:00 p.m., The Atlanta Opera opens its 2012-13 season at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre with Bizet's Carmen.

To celebrate Opening Night, patrons are invited to attend Carmen: The After-Party, a free event immediately following the performance where audience members can celebrate the opening of the season. Held in the lobby, patrons will have the opportunity to meet members of the Carmen cast and creative team, and enjoy a cash bar.

Other performances will be on November 13 at 7:30 p.m., November 16 at 8:00 p.m., and November 18 at 3:00 p.m. Single tickets go on sale October 4 at 10 a.m., and can be purchased online at atlantaopera.org, or by calling 404-881-8885.

Set in Seville, the action of Carmen pivots around Carmen, a gypsy who has the power to seduce any man who suits her fancy. Don José, a corporal, throws honor aside in pursuit of Carmen. Carmen soon casts off her ardent lover for the handsome toreador, Escamillo. Jealousy and passion seal Carmen's fate when Don José murders Carmen, while the crowd inside the bullring cheers for Escamillo.

Debuting with The Atlanta Opera is mezzo-soprano María José Montiel, who sings Carmen, with Mexican tenor Fernando de La Mora in the role of Don José. De La Mora last appeared on the Atlanta Opera stage in the 2007 production of Romeo and Juliette. In his Atlanta Opera debut, baritone Aleksey Bogdanov sings the role of the toreador, Escamillo, and soprano Melissa Shippen performs the role of Micaëla. Atlanta-based singers, tenor Adam Kirkpatrick (El Remendado) and mezzo-soprano Kaitlyn Costello (Mercédès) also will be joining the cast. The role of El Dancaïro will be sung by baritone Adam Cannedy and the role of Frasquita will be sung by soprano Amanda Opuszynski, making her debut with the Opera. Arthur Fagen, Atlanta Opera Carl and Sally Gable Music Director, conducts. Stage direction will be provided by Jeffrey Marc Buchman, who will be working with The Atlanta Opera for the first time. Carmen will be sung in French with English supertitles projected above the stage.

Single tickets are $25 -$132 plus tax, convenience and venue fees. To book, go online at atlantaopera.org, call 404-881-8885 or 1-800-35-OPERA (Mon-Fri, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.), or vsit in-person at the Bank of North Georgia Box Office at the Cobb Energy Centre (Mon-Fri, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.; and one hour prior to a performance on day of show).

Carmen, with Music by Georges Bizet and Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, Sung in French with ProjectEd English Translations and featuring sets purchased from Florida Grand Opera by The Atlanta Opera, plays November 10-18, 2012. Previous Atlanta Opera Performances were produced in 1992 and 2004.

Four Performances at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre:

Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 8 p.m.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 16, 2012 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 3 p.m.

Approximate Running Time: 3 hours, and 10 minutes, with 2 intermissions.

CREATIVE TEAM

Conductor Arthur Fagen
Stage Director Jeffrey Marc Buchman*
Choreographer Rosa Mercedes
Set Designer Allen Charles Klein
Lighting Designer Robert Wierzel

CAST

Carmen María José Montiel*
Don José Fernando de La Mora
Escamillo Aleksey Bogdanov*
Micaëla Melissa Shippen*
Moralès Scott Hogsed
Zuniga Tyler Simpson*
Frasquita Amanda Opuszynski*
Mercédès Kaitlyn Costello*
El Remendado Adam Kirkpatrick
El Dancaïro Adam Cannedy

*denotes Atlanta Opera Debut

Pre-Opera Talks for Carmen
Saturday, November 10, 2012 @ 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012 @ 6:30 p.m.
Friday, November 16, 2012 @ 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 18, 2012 @ 2:00 p.m.
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
Free to ticketholders

Pre-Opera Talks are held one hour prior to each performance inside the John A. Williams Theatre at the Cobb Energy Centre and provide opera attendees a free sneak peek into the opera they are about to see.

Carmen: The After-Party
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Immediately following Carmen in the Lobby
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30339
All tickets are free; cash bar

Join The Atlanta Opera, along with the cast and creative team of Carmen, to celebrate the opening of the season and the Opera's sixth anniversary at the magnificent Cobb Energy Centre. Mingle with the cast and your fellow patrons, and enjoy a cash bar.

Founded in 1979, The Atlanta Opera is one of the finest regional opera companies in the nation, drawing audiences from the entire metropolitan Atlanta area as well as from the Southeast region. The Atlanta Opera strives to expand the experience of its patrons with memorable and exciting opera performances reflecting the highest musical and theatrical standards, while supporting community and educational programs. The Opera also works to attract the finest international, national, and regional singers, conductors, stage directors and designers. Each season The Atlanta Opera presents three productions with four performances each at the Cobb Energy Centre. For more information on The Atlanta Opera, visit atlantaopera.org.

Photo credit: JD Scott