Review: CARMEN Opens Edmonton Opera's 60th Season

Nearly 140 years after its premiere, Georges Bizet’s Carmen continues to captivate audiences around the world. Renowned for its lush score and provocative heroine, it paints a vibrant portrait of romantic turmoil in Seville, Spain. For two more dates only, Edmonton audiences can experience the timeless story at The Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. 

The curtain rises on an austere rendering of a crowded Sevillian plaza. Working-class men linger at the gates of a cigarette factory, not-so-subtly awaiting a beguiling employee, Carmen (Rose Naggar-Tremblay). But she has eyes for only one man: a brooding corporal, Don José (Adam Luther). What begins as a passionate affair is endangered by Carmen’s involvement with local smugglers and the arrival of a charming bullfighter, Escamillo (Lester Lynch). Amidst the mounting tension, Carmen grapples with her fraying loyalties, evading the increasingly violent Don José and embracing a blossoming romance with Escamillo.  

Like Carmen's many admirers, the audience falls under her spell. Naggar-Tremblay's velvety mezzo-soprano effortlessly evokes Carmen’s passion, cunning, and heart-shattering fears. Naggar-Tremblay shares palpable chemistry with her co-star, Luther, especially during Carmen’s famously seductive aria, La Habañera.  

Though Carmen has the spotlight, Don José’s spurned childhood sweetheart, Micaëla (Jamie Groote), is compelling in her own right. The demure Micaëla may appear to be the girl next door, but she gradually reveals nerves of steel to match those of her rival. Groote’s lyrical soprano is lovely and occasionally haunting, often earning resounding rounds of applause. 

Unlike the sublime cast, the production’s visuals do not have the same charm. The grandeur and whimsy of Seville are lost in favour of a spartan backdrop of reddish city walls, unfolding gates, and perplexing bleachers. The austere sets are no match for Carmen’s sweeping romance or the beauty of the Spain she lives in. When the entire cast (including an adorable children’s chorus) is onstage, the bustle of Seville becomes a near-traffic jam of human activity.  Many times, the ensemble engages in different activities-hanging posters, scolding children, or painting graffiti- in multiple places at once, diverting attention from the scenes’ primary focuses. With different sets and a pared-down ensemble, this adaptation of Carmen would have been just as outstanding as its cast. 

Carmen has only two more performances: a sold-out show on October 21 and its October 24 closing night. 

Photo by Nanc Price of Nanc Price Photography, featuring Adam Luther and Rose Naggar-Tremblay  

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