Carmen for All

New York City Opera
cheap thrills at Lincoln Center

This year NYC Opera, the ugly stepsister to the Met's Opera company located right next door, has provided a night of opera where every seat is only $25! This results in a very mixed, eclectic, and appreciative audience. I had a great seat, 8 row center, seated between a young set of lovers and two older female companions. The young girl had a nose ring and her boyfriend was enjoying explaining opera to her. The ladies were talking politics, thankfully with Democratic leanings, and discussing their hair styles.

The production was marginal. The lead, Vanessa Cariddi, unfortunately wasn't very talented with the acting, although her voice was capable. This perspective may be harshly influenced by seeing Denyce Graves at the Met's production of Carmen last year - blew my socks off. The rest of the cast was very good with the exception of the bumpy delivery of Branch Fields and Zuniga, the captain of the guard. Fields sounded as if he were singing while seated in the back of a 4x4 driving over ridges of a country dirt road. Kerri Marcinko was lovely as the soft hearted Micaëla. The sets were acceptable although always prefer a fountain in Act I given that the story has the cigar girls coming into the town square to cool off and drink from the water. I did like some of the directing choices. For example, in Act I, where Carmen is seducing Don José into letting her escape, she teases him with the rope, lasso him with it, catching him up in her web. I also like the use of gypsy superstitions to set up the fortune telling scene in Act III. The earlier rituals in Act II of 'blessing' the smugglers knives show how seriously Carmen takes omens and spiritual warnings to heart. There were two annoying behind-the-scenes video montages before Act I and Act II which over explained what happens to put on such a production. This was the most traditional staging and delivery of Carmen as could be presented. Overall it was a truly fun and frugal way to enjoy classic New York.