Seattle Opera Production of Carmen
Want to try an opera? A good place to start is with one of the world’s most famous and popular operas: Carmen, by Georges Bizet, composed in 1875.
We ventured to the Seattle Opera production of Carmen last week. It was dazzling. The gorgeous music was performed by Seattle Symphony members directed by Ludovic Morlot, our beloved Seattle Symphony conductor 2011-2019. The voices were fantastic (voices like that are a gift from God). The staging and sets were creative and lively. There were not one, but two choruses: one adult, one children’s.
Opera wraps up music, singing, acting, and spectacle in one gorgeous bundle appealing to all senses. My ears are still filled with music.
We have heard excerpts from this opera many times, above all Carmen’s famous “Habanera” aria (officially titled “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” or “Love is a rebellious bird”,) but to see the entire production live is an entirely different experience.
Carmen is one of the classic femme fatale (fatal woman) roles. A femme fatale uses her beauty, charm, and sexual allure to get what she wants.
In brief: Carmen seduces Don Jose into letting her go free after her arrest for a fight, leads him away from his regiment into a life of crime, then dumps him for a flashy matador. Heartbroken, he kills her, then himself in a crime of passion.
A tour de force role, Carmen does not leave the stage for the first half of the show, a test of stamina. Grammy award winning mezzo soprano Sasha Cooke with her beautiful voice was a fine Carmen in our performance. (Alternate performances featured local opera star J’nai Bridges.)
That all dialog is sung with major arias corresponding to major speeches gives the action the powerful emotional elevation for which opera is noted.
Poor Don Jose was well sung and enacted by tenor Matthew Cairns for this performance. (Alternate performances featured Ryan Capozzo.) Cairns well portrayed Don Jose’s descent from dutiful solder to emotional wreck and his rich voice was a pleasure.
The well-directed children’s and adult choruses were impressively coordinated by Scottish stage director Paul Curran in tasteful crowd scenes. The excellent sets were by Irish Gary McCann (and how do they manage to change them so quickly?) Sets included outside a cigarette factory in Spain in the 1950s, outside a tavern, a smuggler’s warehouse, and on a street in Seville. The costumes carried out the 1950s theme.
The opera was sung in its original French with subtitles on a screen above the stage. The production ran for about 210 minutes with two intermissions and several set changes. The final performance of the run was Sunday May 17.
With huge production costs (star singers, a chorus, sets, costumes, dancers, and a full orchestra), opera tickets are noted for being expensive ($200-$300). The Seattle Opera has made major efforts to make opera accessible to all, including:
- Senior rush tickets for those 65 and over: These are available on the same day as the desired performance for $40-45 in person at the Seattle Opera box office.
- BRAVO!, a program for those 21–39. A $49 annual fee gives the member and a guest BOGO tickets or 50% off full price tickets. Members also enjoy free wine and coffee during intermission as well as invitations to social events and special performances during the year. The program includes free parking at the Mercer Garage across the street.
It appears that the program has been successful as we saw many young people in the audience, some in evening dress, others casually attired.
- Designated “Pay What You Wish” performance for each show. Each show has one performance marked for this program. The suggested price is $35 with a minimum of $10. On the day of the performance, call the box office, buy online, or go in person to the box office to secure your ticket. Check online at https://www.seattleopera.org for each show to find its designated “Pay What You Wish” date.
The Seattle Opera website includes a guide for first time operagoers as well as those considering bringing children. See https://www.seattleopera.org/plan-your-visit/first-timers-guide/
Parking is across the street in the Mercer garage. Discounted pre-paid parking is available with tickets. There are also several surface lots in and around Mercer Street. One can find a range of restaurants at all price ranges further west on Mercer Street and on adjoining Queen Anne Avenue North for dining before or after the show.
The 2026-27 season starts in October 2026 and will include Salome, El Ultimo Sueňo de Frida y Diego, Lakmé (in concert), and La Bohème. See https://www.seattleopera.org for details.
Your night at the opera will be a night to remember.