This review was written by a TeenTix KC teen who is learning about arts journalism through the Press Corps, which provides teens with training and tools to respond to their arts experiences. TeenTix KC seeks to engage teens in the arts and amplify their voices. This may be the first time this teen has publicly expressed their opinion about an arts experience. Thank you for reading and supporting this teen’s development as an arts journalist.
A group of soldiers. A cigarette factory. A woman named Carmen, whom all the men love. A soldier, Don José, initially shows no interest in Carmen. But Carmen has her eye on José. A turbulent love. A group of smugglers. The foreshadowing of death. A toreador in love with Carmen. A village girl in love with José. An argument. A bull fight. A murder. A suicide. A tragedy.
I went to see Carmen at the UMKC Conservatory on February 11. I had never seen this opera before, but it has many famous songs, composed by Georges Bizet. The Habanera, “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle,” sung by Carmen (Samantha Georgiana), is instantly recognizable, with its simple melody. The Toreador song sung by Escamillo (Igor Vieria) is also very well known for its refrain. Some that sounded familiar to me were also “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée,” sung by Don José (John Henrikson), and “Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante,” sung by Micaëla (Yiyu Tang).
This opera is sung entirely in French, but translations were projected on a screen above the stage. I was able to completely follow the story without reading the synopsis provided in the program (surtitles courtesy of Opera in the Ozarks, operated by Andrea Gilebarto). However, the setting is Spain, and occasionally there are Spanish words. I found it odd that Spanish words and character names, like José and Escamillo, were not pronounced as they would be in Spanish (hard J, ll pronounced l instead of y).
This opera has been referred to as a Romeo and Juliet-type love story, but I disagree. The lovers, Carmen and Don José, are not innocent as Romeo and Juliet are. Their love is also not forbidden. While it is looked down upon by others like Micaëla, there are no consequences caused by their being together, simply choices leading to bad outcomes. The heroines are also vastly different. Juliet is a young, impressionable girl, while Carmen knows her influence on men and constantly causes chaos for fun. Camen’s independence and flippancy in love were very revolutionary ideas for the time. Written in a time when women were expected to be housewives without opinions, Carmen features a woman main character who is contrary to society’s expectations.
The atmosphere that brought the audience into this world was a set (Spencer Musser, set design, and Patrick Weaver, carpenter/technical director/scene shop manager) that has a simple bridge, arches, and a drapery representing the mountains. This set worked for all four acts and scenes, with added boxes, tables, and other props to signify scene changes. The costumes (Blade Mentijes, costume design) fit the time period, with the best, in my opinion, being Carmen’s iconic red dress shown in the beginning and the end.
One of the most memorable parts of this show was the modern elements mixed in throughout. During the Toreador song in Act 2, the Chorus had cell phones and cameras with flashes to show Escamillo’s notoriety. In Act 3, the smugglers carried automatic guns, which is historically inaccurate. Finally, in Act 4, there was a whole red-carpet setup, with barriers, the mayor in a suit, a news reporter, and a camera showing a live feed from the stage which was projected onto the walls. Unfortunately, the camera did not work exactly as intended during the show, but I got the intention. Other projections during Act 4 featured posters advertising the bullfight, with silly phrases in Spanish. I liked the red-carpet scene; I thought it brought some fun and comedy to an otherwise very serious scene. I was neutral about the guns, it didn’t really affect the story or the message. However, I was not a big fan of the flash photography during Toreador. I found it distracting and confusing. While this did add a comedic bit, I don’t think it was necessary because the story was already at a relatively high point.
Of course, I must give a shoutout to the amazing vocals in this show (vocal coaches Megan Clewell, Natalia Rivera, and Brianne Taylor). Like most operas, no actors had mics, and they could easily be heard over the orchestra (conducted by Dr. Christopher Kelts). The high notes were very impressive on the Soprano and Tenor roles, but this opera also had some very impressive Basses, Baritones, and Mezzo-Sopranos (though Altos were a bit underrepresented). Carmen is a Mezzo-Soprano role, which is a little uncommon in opera.
I was very impressed with this show and would recommend seeing shows at UMKC Conservatory. To teens, I recommend using your TeenTixKC pass to see art in Kansas City for only $5. I would recommend operas, because, like all art, they can teach us more about the world and others. Operas can show us our past and, through their music, can help us improve our understanding of others.
Reviewed by TeenTix KC Press Corps member Sarah Adams
TeenTix KC is a KC Studio initiative building a brighter future for our region by empowering young people to take an active role in shaping their arts community as audience members, critics, influencers, advocates, patrons and leaders. Any 13-19 year-old can become a TeenTix KC member by downloading a free pass which enables them to buy $5 tickets to participating arts venues across metro KC. Teens are encouraged to become critics and influencers by writing reviews and creating reels about the arts they experience using their TeenTix KC passes.
