Carmen, bringing some hot Spanish culture to a New Zealand winter

Carmen
By Georges Bizet
New Zealand Opera
St James Theatre, Wellington – June 1-10; ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland – June 22-July 1; Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch – July 13-22

It’s not the anniversary of Bizet’s birth or his death or even the anniversary of the first performance of his opera Carmen.

But you could well have thought it was because the opera seems to be on everywhere. It has just finished a run on Sydney Harbour and it has also opened in Melbourne.

Earlier this year it was on at the Met in New York, La Fenice in Venice and at Milan’s La Scala. There is a flamenco version opening soon in Madrid.

On top of that earlier in the year the Royal New Zealand Ballet had a dance version of the work and now New Zealand Opera’s production is starting next month

It’s no wonder it gets staged so much. It has a great story line about the way that love, lust and deceit can destroy relationships and lives. It can also be turned into a political opera, both historic and contemporary, and it is ripe for interpretation from a feminist perspective

Director Lindy Hume and designer Dan Potra worked together on a production of the opera more than a decade ago, which was a brooding, dark interpretation with a feminist Carmen presented as a powerful woman with the sexual side of her character downplayed.

Hume says Carmen is something of a mid-life rite-of-passage for her, as she reunites with Dan Potra, her collaborator on that first season.

“Neither of us could possibly imagine that this would be a breakthrough production – both our careers pretty much began with Carmen – but we just loved this piece, and I loved the character of Carmen. I could relate to her – she was funny, smart, sexy, forthright and deeply messed up.”

“So much has happened since. The world is so different and so am I. Returning to this project I wondered if I would recognise that angry, idealistic young feminist or even if I’d like the production anymore but happily I’m really, really proud of that angry, idealistic young feminist and I think she got Carmen mostly right.”

“I’m looking forward to working with New Zealand Opera’s excellent cast and bringing these iconic characters and this tragic, all too familiar story to life for a brand new audience. If it’s still a bit controversial, all the better!”

Georgian-born Nino Surguladze will sing the title role with Tom Randle as Don Jose and James Clayton as Escamillo.