Carmen is coming to Chicago in more ways than one as fans can experience the fiery tale in both its ballet and operatic forms.
Based on the 1845 novella by Prosper Mérimée, the same-named opera about a Spanish seductress premiered in 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Since then, Carmen has been performed live all over the world.
Through the decades, the titular “gypsy” has been cinematically portrayed by Theda Bara in Raoul Walsh’s Carmen (1915); Pola Negri in Ernst Lubitsch’s Carmen (1918); and Paz Vega in Vicente Aranda’s Carmen (2023), to name a few. Additional film adaptations range from Charles Vidor’s The Loves of Carmen (1948) starring Rita Hayworth to Jean-Luc Godard’s Prénom Carmen (1983) featuring Maruschka Detmers. For her performance in Otto Preminger’s Carmen Jones (1954), Dorothy Dandridge became the first Black woman to be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Actress category.
According to JustWatch, viewers can see Beyonce in Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001) on Amazon Prime and Apple TV as well as Carmen (1967), a filmed opera showcasing Grace Bumbry. The African American opera singer will also be featured in WTTW’s Great Performances: The Magic of Grace Bumbry on Oct. 19.
Mezzo-soprano Angela Born takes on the iconic role in the Chicago City Opera (CCO) production conducted by Alexandra Enyart with stage direction by Rose Freeman at Horatio May Chapel (Oct. 3-4).
“We’re thrilled to be returning to May Chapel in Rosehill Cemetery for our fall production. CCO audiences will have the unique opportunity to hear a talented cast of local singers perform this beloved work in the incredibly intimate space,” says CCO Executive Director Kelsey Enyart.
Carmen is fearless—magnetic, passionate, and impossible to contain.
Ashley Wheater
“Carmen is the third most frequently performed opera in the United States this century, and with good reason,” adds 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.”
The popular opera by French composer Georges Bizet and librettists Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac will be performed in French with English supertitles.
Under the baton of Scott Speck, Bizet’s score will also be performed live at the Lyric Opera House when the Joffrey Ballet opens its 70th anniversary season with Liam Scarlett’s Carmen (Sep. 18-28) featuring Victoria Jaiani, Alberto Velazquez, and Dylan Gutierrez.
Joffrey favorites Gutierrez and Jaiani previously appeared together on stage in Lar Lubovitch’s Othello in 2013. Jaiani also starred in the Joffrey’s revamped The Nutcracker in 2016 and played the ill-fated heroines in the company’s Chicago premiere of Giselle in 2017 and world premiere of Anna Karenina in 2019.
“It’s a privilege to open our season with the U.S. premiere of Liam Scarlett’s Carmen, an evocative and theatrical masterwork. Carmen is fearless—magnetic, passionate, and impossible to contain. Liam’s choreography demands both physical rigor and emotional depth, pushing our artists to their fullest potential and captivating audiences in the process,” explains Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director.
“There’s never been a better time to experience the Joffrey,” adds Greg Cameron, President and CEO. “Carmen lights the fuse for a season that defines who we are: a Company in motion, reaching beyond expectations. This year, we step into a new chapter at the Lyric Opera House, one defined by scale, ambition, and vision. It’s a threshold moment for the Joffrey and for our city.”