Pittsburgh Opera
Carmen
CARMEN
Georges Bizet • March 28, 31; April 3, 5, 2020
Set in 1830 Seville, Spain, Carmen is a roller-coaster of lust, deception, and murder. Fiery gypsy Carmen, who lives her life to the fullest, can have any man she wants. But when she seduces naïve Corporal Don José, she gets more than she bargains for.
Carmen works in a cigarette factory. When a knife fight with another employee leads to her arrest, she charms Corporal Don José into letting her escape. Like a moth drawn to a flame, Don José forsakes his military career and the innocent peasant girl Micaela for a life on the lam with Carmen and a band of smugglers. Never one to settle down, the passionate Carmen gets bored with Don José and becomes involved with the glamourous, testosterone-filled bullfighter Escamillo. Left with nothing, Don José decides that if he can’t have Carmen, no one can.
Full of magnetic melodies, colorful costumes, and tragic twists, you’ll fall in love with Bizet’s one-and-only Carmen.
Aleks Romano+: Carmen
Scott Quinn+: Don José
Michael Todd Simpson: Escamillo
Danielle Pastin**: Micaëla
Natasha Wilson*: Frasquita
Antonia Botti-Lodovico*: Mercédès
Ben Taylor**: Dancaïro
Angel Romero*: Remendado
Tyler Zimmerman*: Zuniga
Yazid Gray*: Morales
Bob Rak: Lillas Pastia+
The Artistic Team
Conductor - Timothy Myers
Stage Director - Garnett Bruce
Set Designer - R. Keith Brumley
Costume Designer - Malabar
Lighting Designer - Andrew Ostrowski
Wig and Make-up Designer - James Geier
Choreographer - Michele de la Reza
Stage Manager - Cindy Knight
Asst Conductor - Glenn Lewis
Chorus Master - Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist - James Lesniak
Asst Stage Director - Matthew Haney*
Asst Wig and Make-up Designer - Nicole Pagano
Asst Stage Manager - Alex W. Seidel
Asst Stage Manager - Jin Ah Lee
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 provided by Attack Theatre