The Regina Opera Company’s 56th season came to a close after four performances of Carmen. The legendary opera opened on Saturday, May 9th, in the auditorium of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy, at 5902 6th Avenue, where the audience not only laughed but also gasped.
Originally based on a novel of the same title by French author Prosper Mérimée, Carmen is a four-act opera by composer Georges Bizet, with libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Helen Van Tine-Golden directed the Regina Opera production with Scott Jackson Wiley as the musical conductor. The production stars Lara Michole Tillotson as Carmen, the independent, Romani, passionate and fierce protagonist with Jax Hassler as Don José, the hapless yet obsessive soldier smitten by Carmen.
Set in early 19th-century Seville, Spain, the opera follows the toxic, dependent and destructive relationship between Carmen and Don José, depicting how free-spirited Carmen is; her captivating sensuality can turn loyal soldiers such as Don José into an obsessed man, following her wherever she goes, even if it leads to disastrous results.
“It’s very easy for Carmen to be typecast as the tramp or the bad woman and that’s not who she is at all,” Tillotson said. “She’s fiercely independent and lives her life on her terms.”
Tillotson’s performance of Carmen was the highlight of the show; she showed how Carmen was a three-dimensional character, portraying her as a woman who cared for her loved ones, including Don José, and when she was in love, she was in love. Tillotson showed a woman of passion, who knows what she wants but also when to drop something.
Hassler’s performance was top-notch as well, as we see a man losing his mind over his obsession of an extremely toxic relationship, even when Carmen flatly rejects him. Hassler’s voice was incredibly powerful and almost hypnotic, as you feel his pain and even his love, even if it wasn’t pure.
However, what truly elevated the production was the music, masterfully conducted by Wiley. Although you may not know the name of a specific song, most will recognize them due to their popularity, such as “Habanera” and “The Toreador Song.”
“There is music that we’ve all heard from a very young age, and it’s marvelous to see how they work in context, within the framework of the entire opera – see how they fit in,” Wiley said.
“The singing was excellent and the audience was extremely enthusiastic; they clapped after every aria and after every ensemble. They were praising as they left the theater; they were praising each performer,” Francine Garber-Cohen, president and producer of the Regina Opera, said.
There will be a free performance of the Regina Opera Company in Marine Park at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22nd.
