**** Highly Recommended The Joffrey Ballet’s Carmen was magnificent. Georges Bizet’s glorious music combined with Liam Scarlett’s emotive choreography danced with incredible artistry by the Joffrey company is a spectacle not to be missed! I must say I had forgotten just how evocative this music can be. Seriously, Carmen blew me away - the music, the choreography, the costumes, just wow! I can’t say enough about the Joffrey dancers who always execute the most complicated choreography with flawless technique and grace. Don’t miss it! 4 BIG Spotlights
Please note that the dancers I’ve mentioned in this review might be different in the performance you attend. You can find the cast list for each performance at https://joffrey.org/performances-and-tickets/25-26-season/carmen/casting/
Named characters are: Carmen (Victoria Jaiani), Don José (Alberto Velzquez), Escamillo (Dylan Gutierrez), Micäela (Gayeon Jung), Frasquita (Ao Wang), Mercedes (Yumi Kanazawa), Morales (Jonathan Dole), Zuniga (Aaron Renteria) and Lillas Pastia (Lucia Connolly).
Act I begins outside a cigarette factory. Micäela, a sweet young ingenue is in town to deliver a message to her childhood crush now serving in the army. Before she can find him, she’s teased by the ‘city’ guys who grab at the message. Meanwhile, Carmen, a defiantly free spirit danced with perfection by Jaiani, flirts with the guards then throws a flower to Don José to the music of the habanero, probably the most famous piece of music in the entire opera.
Things are tense as the women enter the factory – a whole section of the backdrop opens up to reveal them working, supervised by a guard, Zuniga. Meanwhile, Micäela finally has her reunion with Don José. They rekindle their love in a dreamy pas de deux. Their time is interrupted by a fight at the factory between Carmen and the other women. The guards drag Carmen away and assign Don José to guard her. After she seduces him, she gets away and he’s arrested.
Also appearing in Act I:
Bohemian Soloists: Fernando Duarte, Xavier Núñez and Zachary Manske.
Soldiers: José Pablo Castro Cuevas, Guillem Cabrera Espinach, Maxwell Dawe, Reed Henry, Blake Kessler, Hyuma Kiyosawa, Davide Oldano, Wictor Hugo Pedroso, Paolo Randon and Valentino Moneglia Zamora.
Factory Ladies: Coco Alvarez-Mena, Lucia Connolly, Olivia Duryea, Dara Holmes, Amanda Illuminati, Victoria Jaiani, Minjoo Kim, Nae Kojima, Lindy Mesmer, Anabelle de la Nuez, Basia Rhoden, Julia Rust and Natali Taht.
Act II is set in a tavern where Carmen and her friends have taken refuge. When the famous bullfighter, Escamillo, struts in, all the men try to appear more macho, all the women try to catch his eye, but he zooms in on Carmen and seduces her.
The next day, Escamillo leaves and Don José shows up. He and Carmen declare their love and decide to marry. He goes to the gypsy camp to wait for her but before she can leave, Escamillo shows up, promising a perfect life if she marries him. She writes a letter to Don José, entrusting Micäela with delivering it. When she finds him, she reminds him of their love but he only wants Carmen.
Also appearing in Act II:
Tavern Ladies: Coco Alvarez-Mena, Olivia Duryea, Yumi Kanazawa, Nae Kojima, Anabelle de la Nuez, Basia Rhoden, Natali Taht and Ao Wang.
Tavern Men: Evan Boersma, Jonathan Dole, Derek Drilon, Fernando Duarte, Hansol Jeong, Zachary Manske, Xavier Núñez and Paolo Randon
Camp Ladies: Coco Alvarez-Mena, Nae Kojima, Anabelle de la Nuez, Natali Taht
Camp Man: Hansol Jeong
Act III is set in the bullring to a version of the toreador’s song, another famous piece of music. The scene is festive and exciting as the toreadors circle the matador, Escamillo, with capes whirling. I really felt as though I was watching a bullfight.
Afterwards, the ladies, all wearing black mantillas, surround the toreadors and Escamillo, congratulating them. Carmen, wearing a white mantilla joins Escamillo in his celebration. When the toreadors carry him out, she tries to follow but Don José stops her. He tries to convince her to leave with him, but she refuses, so he stabs her. She dies in his arms.
Toreadors: Guillem Cabrera Espinach, Maxwell Dawe, Reed Henry, Blake Kessler, Davide Oldano, Wictor Hugo Pedroso, Paolo Randon and Valentino Moneglia Zamora.
Toreador Ladies: Coco Alvarez-Mena, Olivia Duryea, Amanda Illuminati, Minjoo Kim, Nae, Kojima, Anabelle de la Nuez, Basia Rhoden and Natali Taht.
By the way, northwest Indiana native Evan Boersma appears in various parts. You might see him as a tavern man, a toreador, a soldier or as Morales on different days,
Georges Bizet’s glorious music sets the mood for Carmen, which is orchestrated by Martin Yates and performed live by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet. Carmen is staged by Kristen McGarrity, Laura Morera and Lauren Strongin with lighting design by James Farncombe. Costumes and Scenic Design is by Jon Bausor.
The American premiere of Liam Scarlett’s Carmen, is performed through September 28th at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive, Chicago. Valet parking is available, $35. Closest self-park option is the Poetry Garage, 201 W. Madison, $13 reduced rate available at https://joffrey.org/performances-and-tickets/plan-your-visit/directions-...
Running time, three acts with two intermissions, is two hours, 50 minutes, with two intermissions. Remaining performances are Thursday, September 25th at 7:30 pm; Friday, September 26th at 7:30 pm; Saturday, September 27th at 2:00 & 7:30 pm; and Sunday, September 28th at 2:00 pm; Single tickets start at $78. FYI (312) 386-8905 or www.joffrey.org