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A vital new production of one of opera’s most enduringly powerful works, “Carmen” on GREAT PERFORMANCES FROM THE MET – June 14 at 9 pm


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Great Performances at the Met: Carmen

Premieres Friday, June 14 at 9 p.m. on PBS

Sydney Mancasola as Fraquita, Aigul Akhmetshina as Carmen, and Briana Hunter as Mercédès in Bizet's "Carmen." Credit: Ken Howard/Met Opera
Sydney Mancasola as Fraquita, Aigul Akhmetshina as Carmen, and Briana Hunter as Mercédès in Bizet’s “Carmen.”
Credit: Ken Howard/Met Opera

Acclaimed English director Carrie Cracknell makes her Met debut, resetting the classic story to the modern day that moves the focus to issues that could not be more relevant today: gendered violence, abusive labor structures, and the desire to break through societal boundaries. Young mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina leads a quartet of stars in the complex and volatile title role, alongside tenor Piotr Beczała as Carmen’s troubled lover Don José, soprano Angel Blue as the loyal Micaëla, and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the swaggering Escamillo. Daniele Rustioni conducts Bizet’s score.

Carmen Production Credits:

Cast:
Benjamin Taylor – Moralès
Angel Blue – Micaëla
Piotr Beczała – Don José
Wei Wu – Zuniga
Aigul Akhmetshina – Carmen
Sydney Mancasola – Frasquita
Briana Hunter – Mercédès
Kyle Ketelsen – Escamillo
Michael Adams – Le Dancaïre
Frederick Ballentine – Le Remendado

 

Aigul Akhmetshina as Carmen and Piotr Beczała as Don José in Bizet's "Carmen." She is laying across two old gas station pumps reaching out to him.
Aigul Akhmetshina as Carmen and Piotr Beczała as Don José in Bizet’s “Carmen.”
Credit: Ken Howard/Met Opera

Creative:
Gary Halvorson – Director for Television
Daniele Rustioni – Conductor
Carrie Cracknell – Production
Michael Levine – Set Designer
Tom Scutt – Costume Designer
Guy Hoare – Lighting Designer
Rocafilm/Roland Horvath – Projection Designer
Ann Yee – Choreographer
Tim Martyn – Music Producer
Matt Dobkin and Merrin Lazyan – Creative Content Producers
Matthew Polenzani – Host
Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy – Libretto
Prosper Mérimée – Novella upon which opera is based

Great Performances at the Met is produced by the Metropolitan Opera in association with PBS and The WNET Group, bringing the best of the Metropolitan Opera into the homes of opera fans across the country. For the Met: Mia Bongiovanni is supervising producer and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances: Bill O’Donnell is Series Producer; David Horn is Executive Producer.