"Carmen," the classic, racy opera tale of seduction, failed love, and revenge, has captivated audiences for nearly 150 years. Yet this innovative production, directed by Dominque Serrand and produced in collaboration with the Theatre de la Jeune Lune, tweaks Georges Bizet's masterpiece. And while imperfect, the production cannot disguise the innate talent of the performers.
The plot revolves around a soldier, Don Jose (Bradley Greenwald), and a saucy gypsy woman, Carmen (Christina Baldwin). When she is arrested for attacking another woman, Carmen convinces Don Jose to let her escape. She then takes him as a lover and persuades him to desert and join her gypsy band.
She tires of him quickly, however, but Don Jose isn't keen to be discarded so soon. Only the pleadings of his childhood love, Micaela (Jennifer Baldwin Peden), convinces him to leave Carmen to see his dying mother. Unruffled, Carmen takes a new lover, the handsome toreador Escamillo (Bill Murray), and drives Don Jose crazy with jealousy. He, in turn, stalks Carmen and demands that she return to him, and like any good opera, the whole thing ends in a lot of blood and death.
With the grand orchestral score reduced to two pianos, the show has a recital feel. This is a daring move; there is no melodic guide for the singers or cover for a missed note. Unfortunately, while there are some truly sublime moments of piano accompaniment, mainly in the more delicate passages, they fail to support the overall fiery passion that is "Carmen."
Unlike most contemporary performances, Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy's libretto (script) for this rendition relies heavily on recitative, or spoken dialogue, so the show has a heightened dramatic quality. The result is very accessible for the novice opera-goer, as it emphasizes the theatrical element of opera.
Baldwin (Carmen) has a voice that is appropriately seductive and sultry, as well as beautifully expressive. She is the quintessential Carmen; the mocking tone she adopts with Don Jose mimics great Carmens of days past, notably Julia Migenes-Johnson of the 1989 film version.
Her performance occasionally crosses the line from sensual to sexual, however. Carmen's accidental-but-on-purpose sexuality is the secret to her power over men, but to her detriment, Baldwin is transparently sexual in her motives.
Greenwald fights a losing battle as Don Jose -- the part is for a tenor, and Greenwald is a baritone. The result is strained at times and complicates his already uptight acting. As a result, Greenwald never seems fully immersed in the drama, but appears rather as a self-conscious player in Carmen's web. Nonetheless, Greenwald opens up beautifully (vocally, at least) during his arias, and his voice deftly soars through the emotional palette.
The rest of the cast is strong as a whole. An exception is Murray as Escamillo, the dashing toreador that seduces Carmen away from Don Jose. Even the leather pants he wears can't make up for his weak voice and unconvincing acting. In a production with no orchestra for support and a large amount of spoken dialogue, these faults are even more prominent.
The show is full of golden moments and significant miscalculations. One such shining example is the duet between Don Jose and Mic?¤?¬a in the first act. It is naked, innocent, and one of the few instances where the subtlety of the pianos can be truly appreciated.
Likewise, Jennifer Baldwin-Peden (real-life sister to Christina) is truly magnificent in the second act when she allows herself to loosen her mature, expressive voice. As she wanders the mountains, her aria is pure loveliness. This aria is a sharp contrast from the shy, na??¶? Mic?¤?¬a in the first act, but the audience is too grateful to notice.
In contrast, the costumes start out wonderfully and then take a turn for the worse. Soldiers in uniforms stained red from dust set the Andalusian scene perfectly. Dirty, sweaty factory girls in smocks trudge onstage and are completely believable. Unfortunately, the female chorus stalks across stage like something out of "Shawn of the Dead," detracting from the overall effect. The costumes for the gypsy women are just plain confusing. They look like a cross of ballerinas and biker babes gone horribly wrong.
One could have wished for a little more chemistry between Baldwin and Greenwald. Their duet near the end of act two should be a moment full of fire as, Carmen tightens the noose around Don Jose's poor heart. The scene descends into base sexuality, and loses an opportunity to build intimacy between the two.
Overall, the interpretation is invigorating. There are times when the show falls short, but perhaps more importantly, the opera is accessible in ways a more grandiose production is not.
This is a show that drama enthusiasts and musicians will both enjoy, and is worth checking out. If nothing else, ask that cute girl in econ what she's doing Friday night; girls dig guys who like opera!
