Carmen

The Met has a new production of Carmen. Gone are the traditional sets. Instead we got three rotating concentric circle stages. Was the intent to spellbind the audience like some optical hypnotic device? Didn't work. Felt nauseous instead. Instead of women rushing in, bouncing, fun, energetic, we get grumpy looking gals ascending from a dungeon-like hole in the center of the circle. Instead of a glorious mountain bandit hideout, we get a bombed-out arena. No cute donkey, no picadores on horseback. No fun-in-Spain, "I'm sure Hemingway is around here somewhere" vibe. I'm sad.

Elina Garanca was beautiful in the lead. Her voice was pure magic. She even had a lusty swagger to her performance. And I loved her costumes. Roberto Alagna was a competent Don Jose, strong voice but somehow lacking the insane passion I like. Unfortunately Yannick Nezet-Seguin started out conducting the orchestra with some weakness but luckily the musicians brought the full sound up to standards by the second Act. The female chorus was so whimpy and weak during the Act I town square frolic I thought the bullfight cheering in the final act would be dead on arrival. Luckily the chorus, too, seemed to warm up and delivered by night's end.

The dancing was a nice addition. A rock fracture is used in each curtain, backed by color, different for each Act. The effect is to reflect the evolving relationship between Don Jose and Carmen. Ashley Tuttle and Keith Roberts dance together at the start of each Act. While I think there may have been a slight lift problem in the first scene, the rest worked beautifully and passionately. There were also the fabulous flamenco-style dancers in the gypsy bandit scene. Unfortunately Garanca couldn't manage the castanets thus the percussion was added by someone in the orchestra. Guess castanets must be hard to manage.

Score one for music, another for singing, even if it was delayed delivery on both parts. Subtract two for bad staging and lack of any 'wow' factor set direction. If it weren't for the dancing, I would have appreciated the piece just as much on the radio ... with really good reception and a kick-ass sound system. But I'm glad I attended. You never really know with the Met unless you show up. Sort of like life that way.