BY JOSEPH ASQUITH
Carmen by Bizet
Opera Australia
Sydney Opera House, 10 February
What’d you miss?
- A modern Australian take on this classic
- iPhones and live trucks on stage
- Fierceness and emotional vulnerability
It seems that every time I visit Sydney’s Circular Quay, it becomes evermore vibrant; an increasing sense of anticipation and enthusiasm seems to percolate the bustling crowds in this world-famous arena. Undoubtedly, a significant part of this excitement is attributed to the perpetually spectacular and innovative events held at the iconic Sydney Opera House, such as this month’s production of Bizet’s Carmen.
This production, directed by John Bell, owes much of its ingenuity to an aesthetic which is uniquely Australian. Liberties are taken with the mise-en-scène in appropriating the opera for a modern Australian audience. Examples of this include iPhones as props, a live truck on stage, bright coloured, Cuban-style costuming and choreography which evoke an eclectic array of genres including tango, cabaret and breakdance. More to this, some of the characters almost appear to be affable caricatures of an Australian demeanour; two examples being the characters Frasquite and Mercédès (played respectively by Jane Ede and Agnes Sarkis), whose frisky and coquettish characterisation is comparable to that found in films such as Strictly Ballroom, Priscilla Queen of the Desert or Muriel’s Wedding. Indeed, the over-arching, unique confluence of theatrical elements in this production endorse an experience not dissimilar to that of a Baz Luhrmann film, hence its distinctly Australian appeal.
The music itself stays true and authentic to Bizet’s original score. Under the trustworthy baton of Carlo Goldstein, the ever-reliable Opera Australia Orchestra delivers the bold, vivacious, playful, and contemplative accompaniment, which forms the vehicle for the storyline’s emotional upheaval.
The cast, orchestra, and crew are extraordinary. Rinat Shaham brings fierceness and emotional vulnerability to the heroine Carmen. Stacey Alleaume conveys a strong-mindedness, modesty, and compassion in the supporting role of Micaëla, and Marcelo Puente convincingly explores the internal moral conflicts faced by Don José. The dilemmas faced by these characters are universal: love, seduction, lust, betrayal, abuse and mortality. With the assistance of surtitles, it is an accessible, non-esoteric narrative with which all demographics can engage.
One can’t help but have enormous respect for the entire cast, crew, and orchestra – to perform, to perfection, such a production several times a week requires enormous stamina. From an audience perspective, it is certainly a seamlessly cathartic and awe-inspiring rendition of Carmen, allowing leeway into the appreciation for the ever-potent medium of opera. This is certainly a production not to be missed.
Image: Prudence Upton.
