Bustling patrons hurried into their seats guided by red-vested ushers. The hums and whistles of the orchestra tuning their instruments could be heard behind the dimly-lit, blue curtain that encompassed the stage. The lights soon dimmed and a hush quickly swept over the crowd.
Todd Robinson, conductor, raised his arms into the air and struck them down with might as the thunderous roar of the overture ensued, officially beginning Opera Coeur d’Alene’s rendition of Bizet’s classic, Carmen.
With its unrepentant charm and endless passion, Opera Coeur d’Alene managed to breathe new life into a 137-year-old production. Carmen tells the tale of a soldier named Don José, played by Raul Melo, who falls madly in love with the seductive gypsy Carmen, brought to life by Sandra Eddy. Soon, he falls into a dark life of thievery and violence.
Melo was able to capture the essence of a man who has become torn between duty and desire. With every note sang with his deep tenor voice, Melo conveyed a sense of pain and torment with utmost clarity. In every act, he was able to fill himself with more and more affliction as his character fell deeper in love with the gypsy.
Eddy, with her beautiful and exotic stage presence, stole the stage as the titular character. Fitted only with a long flowing red dress and flowers in her hair, Eddy dances around the cast and chorus, winning the admiration of both the Sevillan men and women. Her booming voice called out and echoed throughout the entire auditorium when she sang the famous aria “Habanera.”
Aaron St. Clair Nicholson played an interesting role as both the production’s stage director as well as the suave toreador, Escamillo, who steals Carmen’s heart while Don José is trapped in prison. Though quiet at times in comparison to the orchestra, Nicholson’s voice could nevertheless be heard with a refined amount of strength and robustness.
The most interesting thing to note about the production was its minimalistic approach to design. As Nicholson stated in the director’s notes, the opera was essentially trimmed down to its core in an effort to completely immerse the audience in the story. Simplistic costumes and few props were used throughout the entire duration of the production. Despite an approach that would seem like a hindrance, it was used well to its advantage. No longer distracted by elegant costumes or beautifully-rendered sets, the audience was allowed to focus solely on the characters and their emotional adversities.
Based on their rendition of Carmen, Opera Coeur d’Alene is well on its way to having its dreams fulfilled to become an acclaimed destination for opera lovers from throughout the West.
