Thu 2/25 -Sun 2/28
Carmen in a sandpit? Oh yes, oh yes! Director Victoria Bussert’s version of Peter Brook’s adaptation of Georges Bizet’s tribute to obsessive passion mixes sand, cinnamon and raw young talent to make the classic opera live again. And thanks to an English translation by Sheldon (Fiddler on the Roof) Harnick, everyone seems to understand it.
The mood was set even before the opera began. As we entered the tiny Allman Theater, we were told not to walk on the cleanly raked cinnamon-dusted sand that filled the middle of the stage (it looked as if we were going to a volleyball game instead of an opera) and then we watched a thin stream of sand trickling down from the ceiling to the center of the stage. It (plus a graphic showing two skeletons kissing) suggested that time’s hourglass always runs down (and also reminding some of us of the intro to the soap Days of Our Lives with its “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives”).
As the overture began, black-clad figures moved slowly across the stage, then one bowed down and remained as the others left. OK, so once again, we knew death was on the table.
Everyone knows the story, right? Carmen is a beautiful woman, Don José must arrest her for rowdy behavior, she seduces him, then loses interest when a hotter guy comes along. He gets mad. It doesn’t take rocket science (sorry, just seemed right here) to figure out that if a country boy such as Don José falls in love with a thrill-seeking woman who cares about no one for long, then things will turn out badly.
Everything, that is, except the music. Perched on a balcony walkway above the stage, the small student orchestra conducted by Octavio Más-Arocas surrounded us with the opera’s familiar and beautiful melodies. Alas this, the Peter Brook (Cliff’s Notes) version, omits the choruses. But by stripping away nonessentials (such as fancy dress or elaborate scenery), we can see the point. It allows set designer Jeff Herrmann and Bussert to bring out the tragedy and beauty of this classic opera.
The double-cast show featured Emily Warren as Carmen the night I was there. Lithe, convincingly a siren, her voice and appearance justified the obsession Don José (romantic tenor Josue Brizuela) felt. Roxy Callan (a tender Micaela, Don Jose’s hometown sweetie) sparked sympathy — how could he leave her? Sean Burns (Escamillo) showed just how distracting sports heroes can be when they swagger into town. The rest of the ensemble added to the dash and atmosphere, especially Colton Ryan as a semi-crazed Lillas Pastias.
Bottom Line: An engrossing production that I wish could have run more than a weekend. If it had, I’d urge you to see it, but since I can’t, I’d say next time a chance comes up to see a college production, take a chance. Odds are, if you are already an opera lover, there will be something great there for you. And if you are a beginner, what an easy inexpensive way to be introduced to it.
[Written by Laura Kennelly] [Photo by William Bradford]Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, OH 44017