Beware the attentions of Carmen!
Bizet's timeless, sultry masterpiece returns with this vibrant new production directed by Francesca Zambello making its Kennedy Center premiere. One of the most famous operas in the canon, Carmen is a sizzling tale of lust and passion that alights with fatal consequences. Featuring world-famous arias including the Toreador Song and the alluring Habanera, Zambello's highly praised re-imagining is an awe-inspiring spectacle that hits all the beats of this blockbuster work.
What is the story?
The opera follows Carmen, a fiery, provocative gypsy woman at odds with the conventions of Spain in the early 18th century. Able to seduce men with her dulcet tones and feminine wiles, Carmen ensnares the heart of Don Jose, who drops everything, including his betrothed Micaela, to be with her. When Carmen tires of her latest conquest, she leaves him for the handsome bullfighter Escamillo, setting off harrowing and ultimately fatal events fuelled by jealousy, obsession, and murderous rage.