Teatro Lirico D'Europa: Carmen

"The ensemble cast sizzles in Teatro Lirico's Carmen. The performance really cooked. Credit goes to the excellent chorus and orchestra and the two starring roles." - Boston Globe

Considered to be French composer Georges Bizet's greatest work, Carmen is one of the best-known and most popular operas of all time—known for its skillful combination of a love story with passionate, lyrical music and above all, a heroine who is a true, free spirit. Founded on the novel by Prosper Merimée, Teatro Lirico D'Europa's lavish production of this opera is performed in French with English supertitles and features a full orchestra and chorus, as well as flamenco dance ensemble Ballet Arabesk.

Soldier Don José falls in love with Carmen, a gypsy woman working in a cigar factory in 1820s Seville, while escorting her to jail for fighting with another worker. He allows her to escape, which lands him in prison instead. Upon his release—and at the cost of his military career—Don José seeks out Carmen and decides to cast his lot with her and her smuggler friends. Meanwhile, Carmen has fallen in love with the handsome toreador Escamillo, but she agrees to take Don José on a smuggling trip with her gypsy gang.

Don José begins to unravel as he struggles to keep up with the smugglers as well as preserve his claim on Carmen. Upon his return from home—where he had just bid farewell to his dying mother—Don José discovers that Carmen and Escamillio have begun a rapturous affair. After Carmen dismisses his advances to win her back, a bitter and angry Don José kills her, throwing himself upon her dead body at the same moment the toreador makes the kill in the bullring.

Created in 1988 by Bulgarian opera singer Giorgio Lalov and French ballet divo and arts promoter Yves Josse, Teatro Lirico D'Europa was an instantaneous success. From its beginning, the company was very popular with European audiences, establishing itself as highly competent in delivering traditional, full-scale productions featuring a large orchestra, chorus and mature opera singers. By 1995, the company had completed over 2,000 performances to adoring audiences worldwide. With the death of Yves Josse, the company shifted its touring focus from Europe to the United States, performing eight national tours to great critical acclaim. The performance of Carmen will be Teatro Lirico D'Europa's first performance with Appalachian's Performing Arts Series.

About the company, Opera News lauds, "the solo and ensemble singing... [is] lusty, whole hearted, full throated and honest. Something personal and passionate that is often missing from evenings of opera."

Late seating policy applies.