Seasons

Carmen

The ultimate femme fatale returns in a provocative staging by acclaimed director Calixto Bieito. His raw take on Carmen heightens the intense emotions pulsing through this tale of love, lust and murder. The result is a powerful account of a free-spirited woman and her obsessive lover. Be swept into Carmen’s deadly seduction as never before.

Music by Georges Bizet | Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

Sung in French with English supertitles

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Reviews

An evening of powerful, illuminating theater.

Los Angeles Times

Steamily provocative.

San Francisco Examiner

A harrowing triumph...this is a raw, emotionally confrontational Carmen, insisting that the audience look straight into the eye of passion’s pitiless storm.

San Francisco Classical Voice

Conductor Carlo Montanaro made a Company debut of fire and steel. The orchestral playing was fiercely on point, from the breathlessly fast and hard-edged prelude through the explosive conclusion.

San Francisco Chronicle

Synopsis

A passionate gypsy seduces a Spanish soldier, resulting in emotional upheaval and, ultimately, the pair's doom.

Read Complete Synopsis ›

Cast & Creative

Cast

Carmen	Irene Roberts ¹
Carmen	Ginger Costa-Jackson ²
Don José	Brian Jagde
Don José	Adam Diegel ^*3
Micaëla	Ellie Dehn ¹
Micaëla	Erika Grimaldi ^*2
Escamillo	Zachary Nelson ^*1
Escamillo	Michael Sumuel ²
Frasquita	Amina Edris*
Mercédès	Renée Rapier
Moralès	Edward Nelson
Zuniga	Brad Walker*
El Dancairo	Daniel Cilli*
El Remendado	Alex Boyer*

Performances

May 27, 28, 29, 31
June 1, 17, 23, 26, 30
July 2, 3

Creative

Conductor	Carlo Montanaro ^*
Conductor	Jordi Bernàcer ^*4
Production	Calixto Bieito ^*
Revival Director	Joan Anton Rechi ^*
Set Designer	Alfons Flores ^*
Lighting Designer	Gary Marder
Costume Designer	Mercè Paloma ^*
Chorus Director	Ian Robertson
Fight Director	Dave Maier

¹ May 27, 29, June 1, 23, 26, July 2
² May 28, 31, June 17, 30, July 3
³ May 28   ⁴ July 3
* San Francisco Opera Debut

Co-production with Boston Lyric Opera based on Bieito's production which originated at El Festival de Peralada in Catalonia and Opera Zuid in the Netherlands.

Previous performances of Carmen can be found in our Archive.

Behind the Scenes

Program Articles

Unraveling the Enigma of Carmen

The title character of Bizet's Carmen is rife with contradiction and complexity. But most of all, argues writer Judith Malafronte, Carmen embodies freedom.

Primal Instinct

In an interview with writer Judith Malafronte, Carmen director Calixto Bieito delves deep into aspects of character, Carmen’s universal themes, and the creative process.

The Art of the Bullfight

“It is impossible to believe the emotional and spiritual intensity and the pure, classic beauty that can be produced by a man, an animal and a piece of scarlet serge,” Ernest Hemingway wrote in 1932.

TV and Radio Broadcasts

Did you miss your favorite opera or want to relive a stunning performance? Check for upcoming broadcasts of our past performances.

Explore the Archive

Our complete history of operas, casts, production teams and performance details—dating back to 1923—at your fingertips.

Made Possible By

Company Sponsors John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn are proud to support this production. Maestro Montanaro’s appearance is made possible by the Conductors Fund, and Mr. Jagde’s appearance is made possible by the Emerging Stars Fund, both established by Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem.