Carmen kicks off the 2011 NCPA Opera Festival

Based on the novel by Prosper Mérimée, George Bizet’s four-act opera centers around a love triangle between a gypsy girl, a soldier and a matador. It has become a definitive piece for any opera fan. In honor of the NCPA’s third opera festival, director Francesca Zambello, who has also worked with Britain’s Royal Opera House, leads an all-star cast in a rendition of this classic story. Mezzo soprano Viktoria Vizin and tenor Brandon Jovanovich, both of whom played the lead roles in the Metropolitan Opera’s rendition of Carmen last year, join Jossie Pérez, Michael Todd, Anne-Catherine Gillet, Wei Song, Yuan Chenye and Zhou Xiaolin in an impressive lineup of talent at the NCPA. Debuting to critical acclaim last May, the NCPA’s version of Carmen combines innovative, modern elements such as acrobatics, mixed in with more traditional features such as the set designs. The fashion-conscious will want to check out the over 300 modern, haute couture costumes. Music by Chen Zuohuang and NCPA Orchestra and Chorus. ¥160-880.

DETAILS

What: Carmen

Where: National Center for the Performing Arts

When: Sat., Apr. 9-Sat., Apr. 16, 7:30pm

Tel: 6417-7845, 400-610-3721