Four boy dancers enhance the children’s scenes with spirited street dancing. In a neatly realised touch, Bell, Negroponte and choreographer Kelley Abbey link the feisty boys of the children’s chorus to the playful Romeos of the adult male chorus. In particular, the half dozen supporting characters are established with exceptional clarity. The diagonal downstage steps provide a highly theatrical setting for most of the key scenes, helping the performers to form strong connections between their characters and the audience. Bell charts Don José’s downfall in clear, believable strokes, continuously showing the effect of Carmen’s hypnotic sexuality on all characters. Presenting the unfolding psychological drama in the midst of such constant merriment ratchets up the tension. Finally, the chorus changes to appropriately festive daywear as they cheer the parade of toreadors processing to the bullfight.
In act three, however, the clandestine nature of the smugglers’ den is significantly undermined by the presence of the full chorus still in their vividly coloured clubbing gear. Representing Lillas Pastia’s tavern as a well-populated street-food van for hungry night clubbers makes for a lively second act. Even the military fatigues come in several shades of camouflage chic.
Teresa Negroponte dresses the bustling crowds in a vivid array of sunny oranges, purples and greens. Like the merry townsfolk of a golden age musical, the chorus comes and goes from set designer Michael Scott-Mitchell’s arid, crumbling village square. There is a strong sense of the qualities of music theatre about this production, an aspect that is sure to make the opera even more accessible to audiences of all backgrounds. In his Director’s Note, thoughtfully included on the back of the cast sheet, Bell outlines his choice of present day Havana: “…a likely corrupt environment for the military and the underworld to rub shoulders with those involved in sporting rackets.” Wheeled luggage and iPhones are among the handful of deliberately jarring elements that connect the audience to this secluded locale, a place where sexist stereotypes are still the accepted norm and superstition abounds. This premiere season is set apart by an extraordinary pair of lead performances from French soprano Clémentine Margaine and South Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee. Veteran stage director John Bell helms an emotionally taut new production of Carmen, contrasting the savage drama with the gaudy frivolity of everyday life.
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