Love and death mingle in a classic, crowd-pleasing opera
. It’s like the “Hallelujah Chorus” or “Ride of the Valkyries,” classical songs that worm their way into the cultural subconscious. It’s a perfect starter opera. Not just because you’re guaranteed to perk up at some point when you recognize the music, but also because this story is brisk. There’s romance. Sex. Jealousy. Violence. It makes sense that Austin Opera would choose this guaranteed crowd-pleaser as their 2023-2024 season closer..
Per the announcement at the beginning of the show, this performance is the highest-selling in Austin Opera history. Which makes sense! This tale of stuffy soldier Don José being seduced by the dangerous Carmen , only to turn murderous when she bores of him, is packed to the gills with high emotional stakes. Saturday night’s audience was rapt, with even families and children packing the seats and murmuring in recognition of “Habanera” and “The Toreador Song.
The cast delivers absolutely gorgeous stagecraft. The leads and company manage to act to the rafters and still offer nuance. Hall’s Carmen conveyed strength with a current of madness in each fluidly sensual move. Seth Carico’s Escamillo was a crowd favorite – maybe less subtle, but full of goofy machismo delight. He also garnered the second-biggest applause of the night, with his preening rendition of “The Toreador Song” in Act II.
Carmen Cecelia Hall Rebecca Herman Seth Carico
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