Here’s what Counter Critic thought…

Carmen is like heroine. It is no wonder why Nietzsche used this opera to delineate his philosophical split from Wagner. The moment the overture begins, you want to bounce in your seat, tap your toes, sing along. It is full of some of the most memorable musical numbers in the history of western music, and the ease with which it encourages the audience to enjoy is a remarkable achievement. If you’ve never been to an opera, and would like to set foot in the vast, churning waters, seeing Carmen is the perfect place to start, and New York City Opera’s current production will convince you that going to the opera can be a thoroughly enjoyable night out at the theater.

This is not to say that there is anything particularly remarkable about this production (Joseph Rescigno is the conductor, Jonathan Eaton is credited with production, and Cynthia Edwards with stage direction). Much like this season’s Don Giovanni (directed by Hal Prince), you get the bare essentials of what an opera is expected to look like–fanciful, period costumes amid enormously conceived sets–which orients your perception to the story that is about to unfold. It is precisely this commitment to storytelling that makes these productions perfect for the novice operagoers, although for anyone hoping for a more adventurous theatrical interpretation, this Carmen will come up just short.

But right away, the opera swings into action. Jennifer Black, as the milk-skinned force of wholesomeness who is sent by Don Jose’s mother to bring him back to his hometown, is so convincing, both theatrically and vocally, that you can’t imagine not feeling like an irresponsible dolt around her. Black’s tone is bright and full, sweet and lyrical. Quite in contrast to Scott Piper’s Don Jose, which throughout the night struggled with unevenness. Sometimes the tone was splotchy, particularly when he was pushing; then, he even had a tendency to sharp. But when he relaxed, you could hear moments of real greatness, particularly in the aria, La fleur que tu m’avais jetée, where Don Jose convinces Carmen that he loves her.

Beth Clayton, as the heroine–of the opera–is a full-bodied, barefoot force of womanhood. Her physical command of the stage was near flawless. It was exactly this physical embodiment that made moments like her use of castanets while singing Je vais danser en votre honneu purely awesome. Vocally, she was strong throughout the night, although with her particular voice type, there is a little damper over the tone, which makes it sound as if it’s projecting from behind her, rather than forward from her face. It is still a large instrument, with perfect intonation, but, even for a mezzo, there is something unbrilliant about its quality. There were also a lot of straight-tone vocal tricks that she would employ to add character to the voice, but I would have preferred a more direct approach to the music. Nonetheless, Clayton is quite a Carmen to behold, even if she is a little full of her Carmen.

The scene-stealer–as I imagine is designed to be–is the toreador, Escamillo, played here by Carlos Archuleta in his New York City Opera debut. And Archuleta stole the show, and my heart. His positively arrogant presence is both a refreshment from Carmen’s particular ilk of stubbornness (which is what ultimately dooms her), and is a respite from Don Jose’s muddled, self-conscious and repressed masculine angst. (On a side note, it is kind of weird to see a toreador sing the word “toreador” as many times as Escamillo does in the beloved Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre–or, The Toreador Song.) Archuleta’s perfect baritone communicated the rich confidence, free of the moral anxiety that aflicts the other characters in the opera. I could listen to him all night and forever and still have room for more. Please, City Opera execs, bring Archuleta back for me. (And pass him my info if you run into him backstage…)

The cast is rounded out by a remarkable group of tertiary characters. Anya Matanovic and Priti Gandhi delighted as Carmen’s gypsy cohorts, and Jeremy Little and Kyungmook Yum were a comic duo as the pair of smugglers.

The orchestra played sufficiently under the baton of Joseph Rescino. Although, it would be difficult to screw up this music, which is so readily accessible, simple and charming that even played badly, would still sound pretty good. Do I need to bemoan, yet again, the deplorable acoustics of the State Theater?

Yet for any of the deficiencies this production might have, and there are really only very few, the opera itself is a must-see, so it surprised me to see that the audience wasn’t more robust on Friday night. If opera is theater, then it has the ability to feel like theater, which can carry one away, delight the ear, make you laugh and bounce in your seat, fill your heart with longing and your spirit with tragedy, all in the name of–dare we say–entertainment. Carmen does this, and so does this production.

“Carmen” will be performed again TONIGHT, and various nights through November 17.

Now read what Sidekick had to say…