Photos: First Look at Opera San José's CARMEN

Fiery flamenco joins brilliant singing to ignite Bizet's iconic opera, Carmen, in a vibrant Opera San José production conducted by Music Director Joseph Marcheso, with reimagined stage direction by Lillian Groag and a new collaboration with the acclaimed Flamenco Society of San José. Dance, singing, and drama come together to tell the tale of a defiant heroine whose rebellious quest for freedom defies societal expectations and seals her tragic fate.

The opera will feature Nikola Printz as Carmen, Noah Stewart alternating with Richard Trey Smagur as Don José, Anne-Marie MacIntosh as Micaëla, Eugene Brancoveanu as Escamillo, Leo Radosavljevic as Zuniga, Peter Morgan as Morales, Teresa Castillo as Frasquita, Stephanie Sanchez as Mercédès, Jared V. Esguerra as Remendado, and Rafael Porto as Dancairo. The lauded CANTA (California Academy of Novel and Traditional Arts) children's chorus, led by Jose Chuy Hernandez, will also take the stage. Set in 1820, Carmen will be sung in French, with English supertitles, with performances February 12 - 27, 2022 (dates/times below) at the California Theatre, 345 South 1st Street, San Jose. For more information or to purchase tickets ($55-$195), the public can visit operasj.org or call (408) 437-4450 (open Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm). Note to audiences: The production of this opera features depictions of violence, the sound of a gunshot, and haze.

Beginning February 4, 2022, the City of San Jose and Opera San José will require proof of up-to-date vaccination for COVID-19 for everyone ages 12 and up - including a booster shot at least one week prior for eligible patrons - for entry into the California Theatre. For a full description of Opera San José's COVID-19 safety and health protocols please visit operasj.org/health-and-safety/.

Written by French composer Georges Bizet, with a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, Carmen is based on the novella of the same title. The opera was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in March 1875, where it shocked and scandalized audiences with its breaking of conventions. That same year, Bizet died suddenly, unaware that this work would become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the classical canon, often described as "the perfect opera." Despite its highly controversial depictions of proletarian life, immorality, lawlessness, and tragedy, Carmen was considered groundbreaking and was eventually credited for bridging the tradition of opéra comique and the realism that characterized late 19thcentury Italian opera.

The creative team includes Joseph Marcheso (Conductor), Lillian Groag (Director), Jose Chuy Hernandez (CANTA children's chorus director), Jimmie Kay Ramos (Choreographer), Giulio Cesare Perrone (Scenic Designer), Pamila Gray (Lighting Designer), Alyssa Oania (Costume Coordinator), Christina Martin (Makeup and Hair Designer), Christopher James Ray (Assistant Conductor/Chorus Master).

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