One of opera’s most famous rebels is returning to Adelaide, with State Opera South Australia bringing Carmen back to the stage for a dramatic Golden Jubilee finale.
Bizet’s much-loved opera will take over Her Majesty’s Theatre Adelaide across four performances from Saturday, October 17th to Saturday, October 24th, in a new production directed by Australian creative Laura Hansford.
Set in 1825 Seville, Carmen follows the fiercely independent woman at the centre of one of opera’s most recognisable stories. When soldier Don José falls for Carmen, their passionate relationship quickly spirals into jealousy and obsession, ultimately ending in tragedy.
For this new South Australian production, Laura is creating a heightened, cinematic world filled with blazing colour, which gradually fades as Don José’s world begins to unravel.
The production brings together a stellar Australian cast, with South Australian soprano Charlotte Kelso returning home to take on the title role. She will be joined by tenor Gerard Schneider as Don José, baritone Samuel Dale Johnson as Escamillo and soprano Desiree Frahn as Micaëla, alongside the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and State Opera Chorus.
State Opera South Australia Artistic Director Dane Lam shared, “There is no opera in the repertoire that has more recognisable tunes. Of all composers, Bizet knew how to craft a melody that stays with us long after we leave the theatre – the ultimate earworm maker! These timeless melodies – allied with an evocative orchestration and a cast of characters we at once recognise, barrack for, and pity – make a quintessential night at the theatre.”
The production also reflects State Opera’s broader aim of making the art form accessible.
“Carmen fits perfectly with our thesis that opera is for everyone: it’s elite, not elitist, with our singers the Olympians of the vocal world – sending their voices without any amplification over the orchestra and into a 1,500-seat theatre,” said Dane. “State Opera South Australia is the most locally rooted, internationally facing company in the region – shaping the conversation of what an opera company is in 21st Century Australia.”
Laura is also no stranger to Adelaide, and said she was thrilled to be returning to South Australia to work with State Opera on the new production.
“I could not be more excited to come back to Adelaide and work with the team at State Opera South Australia,” she said. “The world Bizet created for us in Carmen is filled with passion, colour, wit, humour, friendship, and genuine humanity, and I cannot wait to see what we can create together.”
The production will mark the final mainstage work in State Opera South Australia’s Golden Jubilee season, bringing its 50th anniversary celebrations to a close with one of the most enduring works in the operatic repertoire.
State Opera Executive Director Mark Taylor said, “Carmen is the triumphant conclusion to our Golden Jubilee mainstage season, celebrating Australian talent through Laura Hansford’s vision and the homecoming of Charlotte Kelso as opera’s most iconic heroine. This is blockbuster opera in South Australia, created locally for global impact.”
With its famous score, dramatic storyline and a homecoming performance from one of South Australia’s own, Carmen is set to give State Opera’s Golden Jubilee season a suitably theatrical send-off.
Carmen
Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre Adelaide
When: Saturday, October 17th to Saturday, October 24th
Price: From $79
For more information, click here.
