Vancouver Opera: Carmen at Queen Elizabeth Theatre

The illustrious Vancouver Opera has unveiled its 2023-24 season, featuring a trio of time-honored classics. Its third production, Carmen, will open on April 27th at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, concluding the season in five breathtaking performances.

“Carmen is, as Nietzsche said, Mediterranean, exuding a kind of irresistible vitality. And it’s not just that the music is exceptional: it’s that it’s aimed, so brilliantly, at characterization—of people and place—and at telling the story.”

French composer Georges Bizet gets the final laugh. Despite the poor reception during its 1875 premiere, the world has since revisited the audacious tale of love and lust with a newfound reverence. Carmen today is recognized as one of operatic history’s most valiant undertakings, thanks to Bizet’s score and libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.

The theatrical work’s narrative, based on Prosper Mérimée’s novella of the same title, revolves around the destructive romance a military deserter shared with an alluring gypsy. Equal parts passionate and rebellious, Carmen’s story exposes gender and class inequality through the dangers of a thrilling—and ultimately bloody—whirlwind affair.

Director Rachel Peake returns to helm another Bizet classic after her successful portrayal of “The Pearl Fishers” last year. As for our leading lady, mezzo Sandra Piques Eddy will take another swing at the titular character, drawing from her sensuous past interpretations. Alok Kumar, a riveting tenor, will fill the role of Don José, the naive soldier who gives up his station and career for the whims of a delusional heart.

The reverberating voices of the following all-star cast will support our two leads.

Jonelle Sills as Micaela
Nathan Keoughan as Escamillo
Alain Coulombe as Zuniga
Luka Kawabata as Le Dancaïre
Jeremy Scinocca as Le Remendado
Simran Claire as Mercedes
Heidi Duncan as Frasquita
Danlie Rae Acebuque as Morales

The cast is still subject to change. We’ll keep you updated on breaking developments.

Carmen will be sung in the original French, with English titles projected for audiences. Maestro Leslie Dala, meanwhile, will take the podium to conduct the Vancouver Opera Orchestra And Chorus in four acts of symphonic brilliance.

Home of western Canada’s largest opera company, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre will serve as host, with a near-3,000 seating accommodation. It also offers a gorgeous backdrop, lighting, and acoustics worthy of world-class distinction.

Attend the opening night of Vancouver Opera’s Carmen on Saturday, April 27th, 2024, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Click the “Get Tickets” button above to make your reservations!