Gypsy Drama

The Princeton Festival sings ‘Carmen.’

By: Stuart Duncan

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Zeffin Quinn Hollis as Escamillo in the Princeton Festival’s Carmen.


   For some time now, Carmen has been the most popular opera in the world. La Bohème, La Traviata and Le Nozze di Figaro have given it a run for its money, but still lag in popularity. Audiences love Carmen and no wonder. It has just about everything — brilliant music, famous solo pieces, rich orchestral passages, a strong story, good comic relief (don’t forget the smugglers) and a wonderful opera bouffe feeling. All that, and a host of children parading onstage.
   But make no mistake, the characters, especially Micaela and Escamillo, are almost cardboard, hardly deep and certainly not performance-proof. And Carmen herself needs not only vocal abilities, but strong acting prowess as well. In fact, M. Owens Lee in The Operagoer’s Guide points out, "Though ‘Carmen’ is practically performance-proof, the title character is not. Sopranos of every description have attempted to meet its not-too-difficult vocal and all-too-difficult dramatic challenges, and a significant number of them have come to grief."
   The Princeton Festival is presenting Carmen as its centerpiece to the 2007 summer program, and it is a solid outing. Director Steven LaCosse has handled the material as a melodrama (which it most certainly is). He has made particularly good use of the crowd scenes, the performers flowing with elegance, but without ever detracting from the thrust of the tragic tale. Eduardo Sicango’s set design is easily modified to cover all four scenes, from the factory arena in Seville to the nightclub on the outskirts of the city, to the mountain retreat used by the smuggler and finally to the plaza outside the bullring. Benny Gomes has lit it with distinction and John Lehmeyer has costumed the company colorfully, but entirely appropriately.
   But, of course, any performance of Carmen rests with the singers and here the ladies take the honors. Jessie Raven has sung the title role with 10 different companies and clearly is comfortable, not only vocally, but physically as well. In fact, the only minor quibble one might have with this production is that she threatens to be able to out-arm wrestle any of the soldiers around her. At the same time, her physical stature reinforces the concept that she is fully independent, beholden to no one. Sara Pardo and Ezgi Kutlu thoroughly enjoy themselves, as Frasquita and Mercedes. But it is Christina Pier, as Micaela, who grabbed the opening night audience’s attention and was rewarded with the heaviest applause. Her first-act "Parle-moi de ma mere" aria was a knockout and by Act 3, ( "Je dis que rien ne m’epouvente,") she earned their complete approval.
   Todd Geer, as Don Jose, is at his best as the action turns tragic. His flower song is really quite moving. Zeffin Quinn Hollis seemed hesitant as Escamillo, but of course he has the one solo that everyone knows and can hum. Conductor Richard Tang Yuk was in complete control of a very good Festival orchestra. He took the podium, gave a quick nod and immediately went to the music — no theatrics needed, Carmen speaks for itself.
Carmen will be performed at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton, June 29, 8 p.m., July 1, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25-$110; (609) 537-0071; www.princetonfestival.org