Dramatic and innovative staging for new Carmen

Carmen by Georges Bizet
New Zealand Opera
Aotea Centre
Until July 1
Then
Isaac Theatre Royal
July 13 - 18

Bizet’s Carmen is one of the most loved operas but it is also one of the most controversial, having numerous versions and variations including the American musical Carmen Jones and the aborted film version starring Jennifer Lopez.

It’s been on a number of times lately all around the world including Melbourne and Sydney and there was the dance version earlier this year performed by the Royal NZ Ballet. I have seen two other productions of the opera in the last year, San Francisco (NBR June 3, 2016) and Sydney (NBR March 30, 2017). The San Francisco production was darker and grittier while the Sydney version was more spectacular and colourful  but NZ Opera's recent version is the most intelligent, thoughtful and satisfying.

It's no wonder it gets staged so much because it has a great story line about the way 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, which is what director Lindy Hume has attempted.

In the programme notes to this production she notes, “It seems to me that Carmen’s personal values and philosophy are totally in sympathy with contemporary feminist thinking. Our view of Carmen says that while certainly sexual, she is not the “sexy” whore/goddess whose myth has been perpetuated by countless incarnations over the years but simply a woman who chooses the way in which she will live and die”

As is the case in any production of Carmen the production needs to convey the emotions and the rationale that let the audience understand the character of Carmen, how she relates to her world and what motivates her. Equally, the audience should understand what drives Don Jose and how his relationship with Carmen is developed and then destroyed. Hume manages this brilliantly.

Although this is a male-dominated environment where women are abused and used, there are also examples of strong women defying men

This Carmen is a world of strong primal sexuality, latent violence and individuals with blurred moral codes. It is about love in its various forms that the various characters depict and evoke and each of the singers was able to create characters with their own notions of love.

At the core of this emotionally charged world is Carmen, sung by Nino Surguladze, who is not the usual lusty, swaggering gypsy but rather a young assured woman who uses her guile as much as her charm to get what she wants.  

She sang with an alluring voice, which conveyed much about her character that slowly evolved, revealing elements of her quest for freedom. In Act I, she displayed a comic approach while in the fortune-telling card scene her voice was full of foreboding.

Tom Randle gave a superbly nuanced performance as the conflicted Don Jose. His singing and acting traced the changes in his character from initially taken by surprise at his reaction to Carmen and then through various levels of manic behaviour, plotting the evolution of an obsessive stalker. His voice matched his bewilderment, viciousness and tenderness, displaying a superbly complex character.

Micaela was sung elegantly by Emma Pearson. A bit light on her first appearance, her voice gained in strength and she displayed a richness and emotional quality to convey the nature of true love based on a kindness and affection rather than lust.

James Clayton’s Escamillo was more of an urbane character than bullfighter and gave a powerful performance both with voice and strutting stage presence.

Franquita (Amelia Berry) and Mercedes (Kristin Darragh) were in fine form as Carmen’s friends, providing the more sensual dimensions of the gypsy culture.

Hume ensured the cast, their costumes and the sets all contributed to a degree of naturalism, which is rarely seen. This, combined with some dramatic and innovative staging, make it one of the of the more satisfying productions of the opera to be seen in New Zealand.