Chicago City Opera (CCO) proudly announces the casting for its upcoming production of Carmen. A beloved staple of the operatic canon written celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet and librettists Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac contains some of the most recognizable operatic music ever written like the Toreador’s song “Votre toast” and Carmen’s Habanera and Seguidilla. CCO’s production will be led by local singers mezzo-soprano Angela Born as Carmen and tenor Jordan Loyd as Don José, and conducted by CCO Artistic Director Alexandra Enyart with stage direction by Rose Freeman. Carmen will be presented in two performances only, Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4 at 7:00 PM at Horatio May Chapel in Rosehill Cemetery (5800 N Ravenswood Ave.) General admission tickets are $30 with preferred seating for $40. Tickets are on sale now at chicagocityopera.com.
Premiered in 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, Carmen follows the plot of an earlier novella of the same name by author Prosper Mérimée. The free-spirited Carmen seduces a soldier Don José who gives up his military career and his family ties to pursue her. When Carmen starts a relationship with the famous bullfighter Escamillo, Don José’s passions turn deadly. Typically set in 1820’s Seville, CCO’s production moves the action to the 1930’s Spanish Civil War, setting Carmen’s themes of love, passion, and desire for freedom against the rise of Franco and Spain’s 20th century descent into fascism. Carmen will be performed in French with English supertitles.
The cast also includes baritone Keaton Payne as the toreador Escamillo, soprano Jessie Lyons as Micaëla, soprano Diana Monacelli as Frasquita, mezzo-soprano Jaime Sharp as Mercédès, baritone Louise Floyd as Zuniga, tenor Matthew Peckham as Le Remendado, and baritone Kevin Wheatle as Le Dancaïre/Moralès. Pianist Jordan Crice will serve as the orchestra.
“We’re thrilled to be returning to May Chapel in Rosehill Cemetery for our Fall production,” said CCO Executive Director Kelsey Enyart. “CCO audiences will have the unique opportunity to hear a talented cast of local singers perform this beloved work in the incredibly intimate space.”
“Carmen is the third most frequently performed opera in the United States this century, and with good reason,” added CCO Artistic Director Alexandra Enyart. “Its tuneful melodies have been used in everything from Saturday morning cartoons, to Olympic figure skating routines, to car ads, but nothing beats hearing this gorgeous music in its original context.”
CCO’s next production will be Cendrillon, composer Jules Massenet and librettist Henri Caïn’s charming retelling of Cinderella in February 2026. Cendrillon will star sopranos Hayley Fox as Cinderella and Valerie Beck as Prince Charming.
About Chicago City Opera
Founded in 2019 under the name Ouroboros Opera, Chicago City Opera is a Chicago based non-profit dedicated to providing high-quality performances of standard operatic repertoire in intimate spaces, making opera accessible to audiences and performers. CCO’s unique and egalitarian approach to production utilizes a collaborative model in which all the performers on stage invest as equal shareholders to produce an opera. CCO continues to be committed to the community of Chicago and is dedicated to creating the best experiences possible for our community on both sides of the stage.