Opera Performance: The Story of Carmen

The story of Carmen, the wild and sultry Gypsy girl who loves freedom more than life itself, is one of the most popular operas performed today. George Bizet’s catchy tunes, such as “Habanera,” “The Toreador Song” and the “Flower Song,” will sound familiar even to those who have never seen the opera. The hapless Don Jose, portrayed by tenor Kevin Courtemanche of the Metropolitan Opera, loses his heart to the lovely but treacherous Carmen, sung by Mezzo-soprano Frances Devine, but kills her rather than let her enjoy her new found love with the dashing toreador, played by Baritone Richard Cassell. In a slightly abridged, 2 hour version with 10 minute intermission, Capitol Heights Lyric Opera performs all major scenes, sung in French with brief English dialogues.