Opera ‘Carmen’ at You
Opera Santa Barbara kicked off its 30th season on a particularly high note at the Granada when it staged Bizet’s 1875 masterpiece Carmen, the first time in seven years.
The hugely entertaining three-hour, four-act show with Kostis Protopapas, general director, conducting, featured mezzo-soprano Sarah Saturnino, a Grand Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition, in the main role as the beguiling gypsy temptress.
Tenor Nathan Granner as besotted lover Don José and bass baritone Colin Ramsey as bullfighter Escamillo, both in role debuts, completed the accomplished cast of the torrid love triangle, with soprano Anya Matanovic returning as Micaela.
Stage director Fenlon Lamb, who last worked in our Eden by the Beach in 2016 helming an all-Puccini production, did an ace job with effective, but simple set design, by Dahl Delu and creative projection design by Daniel Chapman.
Dancers from State Street Ballet, Ethan Ahuero and Rachel Hutsell, with choreography by Cecily MacDougall, added to the colorful show set in Seville, Spain, in the 1820s.
Afterwards supporters walked two blocks to the Arlington to celebrate the production including Robert Weinman, Arthur Swalley, Deborah Bertling, Robert Ooley, Roger and Sarah Chrisman, Joan Rutkowski, Simon Williams, and Barbara Burger.
No wonder Carmen is one of the world’s most popular operas!
