Volcanic, seductive, rebel, provocative… Carmen by Bizet is top billing at the Opéra Bastille for a handful of exceptional representations. A golden occasion to (re)discover this cult spectacle in a stunning scenography.
Previously in Carmen...
With Carmen, the love story goes up and down. The pretty gypsy, who works in a tobacco factory in Sevilla, is a real heart-breaker. She seduces Don José and convinces him to desert for her, despite the supplications of the soldier’s mother, who dreams to see him wed the sweet Micaëla.
Naturally, their relationship turns sour when Don José realizes that the indomitable Carmen has set her sights on Escamillo, the hot new torero.
Spoiler alert: in a gesture of despair, Don José kills the gypsy who no longer wants him.
A modern-day opra
3 hours of spectacle and not a minute of boredom. Scenographer Calixto Bieito makes us partake in the twirling world of an ultra badass heroine with a passionate temperament, claiming high and low: “keep guard of yourself.”
The different tableaux flow naturally in willingly simple settings. A phone booth, gangster Mercedes Benz sedans from the 80s… a far cry from the usual folklore. Distribution is ensured by ultra confirmed artists, to be noted the presence of the one and only Roberto Alagna, alternately in the role of Don José.
Result, a really wonderful approach of the famous opera created by Georges Bizet in 1875.
Carmen, until the 23rd of May 2019. Starting at €5.
Also check out the spectacle of the Cirque du Soleil and the muscial comedy Guys and Golls.
