UTAH OPERA, "Carmen," in the Capitol Theatre, Oct. 20. Additional performances Oct. 22, 24, 26, 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinee Oct. 28. Tickets available through ArtTix at 355-ARTS.
Utah Opera's "Carmen" is a must-see. Everything in this new production of Bizet's masterpiece is first-class — the singing, acting, direction and pacing all work together superbly to make this one of the company's finest productions in years.
Of course, this "Carmen" wouldn't be what it is without the mesmerizing performance of Jean Stilwell in the title role. Stilwell makes this "Carmen" mesh. She is truly amazing as the insolent, indulgent Gypsy woman. In Stilwell's hands, Carmen is sexy, sultry and seductive — she quite simply radiates sexuality.
Stilwell's Carmen is a woman who knows what she wants, and she doesn't hesitate to use whatever means necessary to get it. She is independent in an era that craved conformity, especially among women. And that strong-minded determination ultimately leads to her death and Don Jos's undoing.
As Don Jos, tenor Antonio Nagore is outstanding. He is perfect as the free-spirited Carmen's antithesis. They interact well with each other, and they also derive much of their strength from each other.
Stilwell's husky mezzo-soprano is well-suited for Carmen. The dark timbre in her voice is rich in undertones of forbidden pleasure. And as an actor, Stilwell is probably without equal in the role today. Her steamy "Habanera" and playful "Seguidilla" are two of the highlights. (Before the curtain the curtain was raised at Saturday's opening-night performance, it was announced that she had been suffering from a throat infection, but nothing in her performance indicated that anything was physically wrong with her. And, in fact, her singing seemed to become stronger as the evening wore on.)
Nagore, too, is a remarkable vocalist. He is magnificent in his role as the naive and innocent soldier. His strong and vibrant tenor is a delight to hear, and his Act I duet with Micaela is quite tender, as is his poignant "Flower Song" in Act II. And when sings together with Stilwell, Nagore is absolutely tremendous, as in the final duet between Don Jos and Carmen in Act IV. This scene is powerful and gripping and even frightening in the intensity of emotions expressed by the two singers, a potent climax to an unforgettable evening.
Soprano Kelly Cae Hogan as Micaela is wonderful, especially during her Act III solo. And baritone Nmon Ford is a capable Escamillo. On Saturday, however, his warm voice tended to be occasionally overpowered by the orchestra and chorus.
Conductor Matthias Kuntzsch's direction Saturday was well-paced and his choice of tempos kept the action flowing along smoothly. The Utah Symphony played beautifully, and the Utah Opera Chorus was, as always, perfect.
But, in spite of all of the commendable qualities in this production, Utah Opera couldn't resist adding a gimmicky twist to the "Toreador March" in Act IV on Saturday. As part of Escamillo's entourage, the company invited two dozen area business and civic leaders to be part of Escamillo's entourage — including Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson.
Well, at least that's one way to get them involved in the arts.
E-MAIL: ereichel@desnews.com