Carmen by Georges Bizet

A square, in Seville. On the right, a door to the tobacco factory. At the back, a bridge. On the left, a guardhouse.

A group of soldiers relax in the square, waiting for the changing of the guard and commenting on the passers-by (“Sur la place, chacun passe”). Micaëla appears, seeking José. Moralès tells her that “José is not yet on duty” and invites her to wait with them. She declines, saying she will return later. José arrives with the new guard, who is greeted and imitated by a crowd of urchins (“Avec la garde montante”).

As the factory bell rings, the cigarette girls emerge and exchange banter with young men in the crowd (“La cloche a sonné”). Carmen enters and sings her provocative habanera on the untameable nature of love (“L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”). The men plead with her to choose a lover, and after some teasing she throws a flower to Don José, who thus far has been ignoring her but is now annoyed by her insolence.

As the women go back to the factory, Micaëla returns and gives José a letter and a kiss from his mother (“Parle-moi de ma mère!”). He reads that his mother wants him to return home and marry Micaëla, who retreats in shy embarrassment on learning this. Just as José declares that he is ready to heed his mother’s wishes, the women stream from the factory in great agitation. Zuniga, the officer of the guard, learns that Carmen has attacked a woman with a knife. When challenged, Carmen answers with mocking defiance (“Tra la la … Coupe-moi, brûle-moi”); Zuniga orders José to tie her hands while he prepares the prison warrant. Left alone with José, Carmen beguiles him with a seguidilla, in which she sings of a night of dancing and passion with her lover—whoever that may be—in Lillas Pastia’s tavern. Confused yet mesmerised, José agrees to free her hands; as she is led away she pushes her escort to the ground and runs off laughing. José is arrested for dereliction of duty.

A wild spot in the mountains

Carmen and José enter with the smugglers and their booty (“Écoute, écoute, compagnons”); Carmen has now become bored with José and tells him scornfully that he should go back to his mother. Frasquita and Mercédès amuse themselves by reading their fortunes from the cards; Carmen joins them and finds that the cards are foretelling her death, and José’s. The smugglers depart to transport their goods while the women distract the local customs officers. José is left behind on guard duty.

Micaëla enters with a guide, seeking José and determined to rescue him from Carmen (“Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante”). On hearing a gunshot she hides in fear; it is José, who has fired at an intruder who proves to be Escamillo. José’s pleasure at meeting the bullfighter turns to anger when Escamillo declares his infatuation with Carmen. The pair fight (“Je suis Escamillo, toréro de Grenade”), but are interrupted by the returning smugglers and girls (“Holà, holà José”). As Escamillo leaves he invites everyone to his next bullfight in Seville. Micaëla is discovered; at first, José will not leave with her despite Carmen’s mockery, but he agrees to go when told that his mother is dying. He departs, vowing he will return. Escamillo is heard in the distance, singing the toreador’s song.

A square in Seville. At the back, the walls of an ancient amphitheatre

Zuniga, Frasquita and Mercédès are among the crowd awaiting the arrival of the bullfighters (“Les voici ! Voici la quadrille!”). Escamillo enters with Carmen, and they express their mutual love (“Si tu m’aimes, Carmen”). As Escamillo goes into the arena, Frasquita and Mercédès warn Carmen that José is nearby, but Carmen is unafraid and willing to speak to him. Alone, she is confronted by the desperate José (“C’est toi !”, “C’est moi !”). While he pleads vainly for her to return to him, cheers are heard from the arena. As José makes his last entreaty, Carmen contemptuously throws down the ring he gave her and attempts to enter the arena. He then stabs her, and as Escamillo is acclaimed by the crowds, Carmen dies. José kneels and sings “Ah! Carmen! ma Carmen adorée!”; as the crowd exits the arena, José confesses to killing Carmen.

Artistic Team

Director – Anna Theodosakis

Conductor – Maria Fuller

Répétiteur – Kerry Agnew

Set Designer – Evgenia Mikhaylova

Costume Designer – Miranda Hughes-McKnight

Lighting Designer – Ian McClellan

Chorus Master – Dr. Jennifer Lang

Fight Director – Erin Brophy

Saskatoon Children’s Choir Director – Pheobe Voigts

Crew

Stage Manager  – Shelby Lyn Lowe

Surtitle Operator – London Boothman

Cast

Carmen – Simona Genga

Don José – Ian Cleary

Escamillo – Luka Kawabata

Micaëla – Danika Lorén

Frasquita – Jardena Gertler-Jaffe

Mercedes – Oli Guselle

Don Cairo/Morales – Geoffrey Schellenberg

Remendado – Kieran Foss

Zuniga – Chris Kelly

Saskatoon Opera Chorus

Saskatoon Children’s Choir

Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra

Built in 2007, the Remai Arts Centre was the first new development at River Landing to influence the revitalization of Saskatoon’s downtown core and now sits amidst an increasingly vibrant city centre. Home to Persephone Theatre, it holds a 421 seat main stage theatre and a 150 seat flexible second stage and is a regular performance venue for the Saskatoon Opera and many other established performing arts groups in Saskatoon.

This beautiful, versatile performance venue attracts a loyal audience looking for high quality arts experiences. From its busy stages and rehearsal halls; to the many community and cultural events held in its lobby, the Remai Arts Centre has established itself as a cultural hub in Saskatoon.

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Seating Plan