WRITE A REVIEW: Having had the opportunity to see Carmen at Opera Philadelphia, tell us what you thought. Be as detailed in your response as possible. Consider using "Wring a Review of the Opera" found of p.51 of your student guide to help organize your thoughts. We will accept all reviews, positive or negative! We simply ask that you thoroughly defend your opinion. In your response consider commenting on the story, the sets, the characters, the music, and more.
With both options we ask that you include your:
FIRST NAME:
SCHOOL:
GRADE:
You never know, if your blog entry is well written, we may just have to put it on Opera Philadelphia's official blog page. We look forward reading your entry! Happy writing.
Steven Humes
Opera Philadelphia
Education Manager
Comments
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grade
I LOVED the opera. The performance told the story with great emotion, and I was engaged throughout the entire opera. The conflict perfectly contrasts with the main character, Carmen, making this opera appealing and interesting. The music really helped to bring the characters’ emotions forward toward the audience. Carmen and Escamillo’s duet helped show that Carmen was over Don Jose. The staging and the costume really help enhance the plot with all the different scenes and the interactions between the actors and the stage. I would definitely recommend this performance. The stage and the plot will definitely blow you away and will leave you standing up and clapping.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grade
Carmen, a gypsy, is a confusing character that lures the soldier Don Jose into loving her. When the gypsy falls in love with the bullfighter Escamillo, Don Jose gets jealous and kills her when she says she doesn’t want to go with him
The music carried the voices forward by accompanying them in arias and duets. Some particular songs by the characters described their emotion about another in the current setting.
The sets and costumes enhanced the plot by giving more color and space to accompany the singing while also representing the characters’ current status in society
Since Bizet was from 1838 and died in 1875, the setting was probably updated for a more modern look, because motorbikes did not appear on the scene until 1885, a decade after Bizet’s death. Modernizing the setting would add power to the piece because a viewer who is more familiar with more recent culture would understand the opera better.
I would recommend this opera to my friends and family because it includes the most important elements of opera: drama, emotion, costume, scenery, and music to accompany it. The opera is also very relatable to some people who are involved in a relationship, or are torn between a relationship and a hobby or job. If I had the choice to see this opera again, I would choose to, because it is very powerful and lures you into a different time.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Sixth Grade
PLOT & CHARECTERS
The performance told the story really dramatically. It engaged you into the characters and the plot.
MUSIC & VOICES
The music added drama to the performance. There were some songs that drew you into the plot more.
STAGING
The sets were really detailed and realistic. The costumes and staging support the setting.
SETTING
The time and location has been updated since it was written. It works and adds power to the piece because Carmen wants to be free and no ones possession and thats what women were going through at that time.
MY OPINION
I would recommend it to my friends and family because it was really interesting but I wouldn't recommend it to younger kids because it was really long.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grade
For me the entire plot and drama really made me engaged in the whole show. The sets brought to life the story as well as the characters and costumes. All of the arias were amazingly sung. All of the music very much led the plot forward. The actors were all very amazing at both singing and acting and they really brought to life their character and the drama of the story. I thought that the costumes were very beautiful and actually showed more about the characters. I enjoyed the show so much and I loved the plot and story! Thank you for an amazing experience!
Bala Cynwyd
6th
Carmen was dramatic in her line, “If you love me, I don’t love you. If I love you, watch out.” That line is very dramatic. I really liked the set, it was good because the billboard was used a few time.
There is conflict between Don José and Carmen. The voices are contributing because they show love and hate. In different tone.
The billboard set was used in the beginning scene, the escamillo scene, and the toreador scene. I liked that it was reusable.
The opera has 1950 and was not the intended time period I believe. The changes don’t make much difference in my mind, but there were some advanced guns that I don’t know when they were made if they were invented in 1950, then that would be an update.
I would recommend this opera to friends and family, because the opera was executed in a great way other than there being no fake blood it was good. The actors were very good at acting. (I am sure they don’t hate each other that much back stack.) I liked the kids in the few songs. Those kids were my age and I know I can’t speak french.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Sixth Grade
PLOT & CHARACTERS
The performance told the story really dramatically. It engaged you in the characters and the plot.
MUSIC & VOICES
The music added drama to the performance. There were some songs that drew you into the opera more.
STAGING
The sets were really detailed and realistic. The costumes and staging supported the setting.
SETTING
The time and location have been updated since the opera was written. It works and adds power to the piece because Carmen wants to be free and no ones property and thats what women were going through at that time.
MY OPINION
I would recommend it to my friends and family because it is really interesting. I would not recommend it to younger kids because it is really long and little kids can't sit still that long.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Sixth Grade
When I went to see Carmen, I don’t know what I was expecting. Maybe I thought it would be like something out of a Disney movie. Boy, was I wrong. All of the different emotions and in-depth characters led to a pleasant surprise. Even when off to the side of the stage, you could see the different emotions travelling over the faces of the actors and actresses; especially Carmen. She had this annoyed smile on her face as she watched Don Josѐ, like she was just barely putting up with him.
The music and operatic singing was tremendous! The way the performers could make their voices travel throughout the theater was insane. The comparison of love to a flightless bird specifically caught my attention, and the idea of such stayed with me throughout the whole performance.
Different sets can help grab someone’s attention during a performance of any kind. The sets of Carmen were no acception. They were well made and stood out, especially all of the posters. The ‘Escamillo’ poster in particular gave a subtle hint of what was to come in the opera.
The different costumes were beautiful and stood out as well. Carmen’s red dress helped her stand out against the crowd. Every outfit was tailored well to the wearer. Don Josѐ’s clothes during the smuggling scene looked dirty and sweaty, which showed how hard he had been working. The different outfits also fit well with the characters and their personalities.
The 1950’s was a good time to have the events in the opera take place, since it allowed more creativity with the set, such as the billboards and motorcycles. The guns could also be more advanced. Of course, considering that Prosper Mérimée wrote the original Carmen book was written in 1846, and the opera was finished in 1875, I’m willing to bet that this isn’t what George Bizet thought would happen to his now famous opera.
I would recommend Carmen to any mature audience. The opera got a little sexual in some spots, so I wouldn’t suggest bringing any younger children or immature teenagers to see this performance. The opera does tell an interesting and eventful story, but it also takes up a lot of time to perform, so a patient audience would be best.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grade
In the opera, Carmen is a strong determined person who gets what she wants and doesn’t let anyone make decisions for her. Don Jose is a desperate person who is desperate and will not stop for anything until Carmen says she loves him and she doesn’t do that so he killed her at the end. Macaela is a kind person who sends messages to Don Jose from his mother. I wouldn’t change anything about the characters.
I think the people that were casted for their characters were perfect for their characters. I thote the sets and the costumes were really cool and realistic. I think the creator originally wanted it to be set in the 1980s but it was set in the 1950 and i think it was a good choice.
My overall opinion is that is was a really good performance and it was fun to go to and I am happy I had the opportunity to go to it. I think 4 hours was too long for a performance. I didn’t understand what they were talking about not just because it was in french but because it didn’t really match with the setting.
Bala cynwyd middle school
Grade 6
I think the actors did very well performing it dramatically, they acted it out very well even when they weren’t singing. They had me very engaged it was very fun to watch. Carmen is a gypsy who is firey and is afraid of nothing. Don Jose is a soldier who is obsessed with carmen and will do anything to be with her. Escamillo is a very famous bullfighter who is in love with Carmen. The conflict is that both Don Jose and Escamillo love carmen and are fighting for her, Carmen falls for escamillo and don jose gets mad and kills carmen.
I think each characters arias definitely moved the plot forward because it show a bit of each characters personality while also contributing to the story and moving it forward. As an example Carmen’s habanera, it shows that she doesn't love easily, while foreshadowing that somewhere along the way someone gets their heart broken. I think the deut between escamillo and Don Jose added to my involvement in the plot, because it made it alot more tense between the characters.
I think the sets really added to the plot like in act three the warehouse was very well designed and it really was like a smuggler's hideout I really liked the sets they really added to the plot. And the costumes were amazing, The costumes all were made to go along with the set and they were designed very well. Carmen’s dress in the final act with the velcro rip off parts was an awesome addition.
The setting has definitely been updated since the operas release. Carmen was released in 1875 while this set was placed in the 1950’s. I don’t think it changes the plot that much except the fashion is different and Escamillo rides a motorbike. So there really was no change but i guess you could say it adds to the power, because it of the updated setting.
I would definitely recommend this opera to my family and friends, I loved this opera. I think the music is great and the sets were fantastic. Everything about it was spectacular. The cast and crew did fantastic. Bravo And Brava to everyone on stage and backstage.
Bala Cynwyd
Grade 6
I think that the plot of Carmen was very engaging because it was sort of a mix between a romance and a tragedy. It really is interesting to see more negative traits in each characters, since having a character who is perfect, won’t make a good story. I think it’s great how each character has faults. In the beginning, Don José is a relatively calm character and we don’t see many faults in him. Carmen is shown to have manipulative qualities and isn’t afraid to attack someone straight from the start. As the opera progresses, we start to see more of a darker side that is obsessed and addicted to Carmen. At the climax of the story when Don José confronts Carmen at the arena, he is desperate for her. When she refuses, he kills her while Micaëla watches from afar. This story could’ve been told in a poor way, but here it was told dramatically, which made it even more intriguing and interesting to watch.
The music of the opera was splendid. It really carried the plot forward because, a) The singers mixed emotion into the music, and b) Operas are told through singing. Carmen and Don José’s voices, to me, matched their characters very well. Their tone showed emotion that created conflict. I particularly liked the orchestra. It didn’t sound like separate musicians playing in an orchestra, it sounded like one musician for each part that was as loud as a whole orchestra.
The set was brilliant. They served their purpose well and they weren’t too complicated. It really felt like we were there. My favorite had to be the final set, the arena. It was simple, just wooden stands elevated. There is one thing that I want to nitpick about the set. The background. I just didn’t understand why there were palm trees in the background. It seemed so out of place and random. When I saw them in Act III, I thought that they were stealing oranges and the building was a greenhouse full of orange trees.
The setting as definitely not what the composer intended. When Carmen the opera was written in 1873, Bizet most likely imagined that Carmen would take place in his time, the 1800s. The setting of the 1950s really added to the fact the Carmen was a powerful woman. In the 1950s, men were returning from the war, and they wanted their jobs back. So, Carmen smoking, having a job, and controlling people was very out there and random for both Bizet’s time and the 1950s.
I would definitely recommend this opera to my friends and family. It has a great story and amazing music. Though there are some parts that are not suitable for some less suitable people.
I really enjoyed the opera Carmen. With the beautiful acting of the entire cast, combined with the magic of Bizet's original creation, I could not take my eyes off the stage. I did think Bizet’s Micaela needed a bit of character work, and that there was a little bit to much sexuality used in it though, although that may be bias do to my age. The music was also phenomenal. The only thing I would change is making the subtitles easier to read. I was craning my neck to understand what was happening. Maybe, you could give each member a script so they could enjoy the music, staging, and costumes more. Speaking of staging and costumes, they were magnificent. It really felt like I was there, watching. My favorite staging was act two, because of all the things incorporated in it. The costume of carmen was to unrealistically ripped. It should be harder to rip, and not just rip off win you tug on it a little. All in all, carmen was an amazing opera. I would totally recommend seeing it.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grader
The actors were all very talented, especially Don Jose, but the actual plot was a bit slow. I think that there shouldn’t be so much repetition, and that more than just one main thing should happen each act. I really liked the Orchestra pit and the musicians in it. The music was more appealing to me than the actual voices. They helped the people on the stage singing and added to the whole performance. The sets were kind of what I expected, not bad but not too good either. They were kind of just there. The lights, though, contributed to the the opera a lot. The colors were well chosen and greatly enhanced the feelings and mood. The tech crew was amazing, too. They kept everything going very smoothly with the spotlights and the CARMEN sign and everything else they control. The intermissions were also a problem for me. There should have only been one, and even if it was only one, it was too long. 5 minutes less and only one intermission would have been fine with me. I wouldn’t come back to it. Once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it, and I heard rumors that the seats we had (front and center) were about $200! there’s NO WAY I would pay that much to see Carmen. Other people might, though. I’m just the kind of person doesn’t like shows and who would rather stay home and have $200 than go see Carmen.
Oh yea they didn't sing with microphone
By:Leianna
Chartertech High School For The Performing Arts
11th grade
I enjoyed this opera, the different sets and scenes were amazing. I like how the actors really portrayed the characters well . You would have thought that was their true personality. I also like the main idea . Don Jose and Escamillo both love Carmen and are fighting for her,even though Michaela is in love with Don Jose , clearly Don Jose doesn’t care he just wants Carmen. Carmen doesn't want him and that leads him to kill her . This causes a lot of conflict between this love triangle.
The set is what really caught my attention. It amazed me how they switched the sets in that little bit of time . Also the sets were so detailed and nice , it made me forget that it wasn’t real. I liked the costumes to they were cute. Especially when Don Jose was ripping Carmen's dress apart.
The singing was amazing , I was amazed how they could remember all the words and didn’t mess up . I also was familiar with this opera because , we did it in school. Some of the songs they performed , we did a slower version. So a lot of the songs were very familiar , and it was hard not to sing along. Carmen's voice was very unique , I enjoyed her singing.
I think the creator originally wanted it to be set in the 1875 when Carmen originally came out but it was set in the 1950 and I think it was a good choice. The way they were dressed represented the 1950s and Escamillo was riding a motorcycle , so that was new . The settings on the sets seemed so real and legit , like how it was back then.
As I said before , I truly enjoyed the show , it was very long but interesting. Although I would recommend this opera to an older audience , because there were some explicit parts. Other than that I feel like it was very entertaining and I would definitely watch it again.
Chartertech High School For The Performing Arts
11th grade
I enjoyed this opera, the different sets and scenes were amazing. I like how the actors really portrayed the characters well . You would have thought that was their true personality. I also like the main idea . Don Jose and Escamillo both love Carmen and are fighting for her,even though Michaela is in love with Don Jose , clearly Don Jose doesn’t care he just wants Carmen. Carmen doesn't want him and that leads him to kill her . This causes a lot of conflict between this love triangle.
The set is what really caught my attention. It amazed me how they switched the sets in that little bit of time . Also the sets were so detailed and nice , it made me forget that it wasn’t real. I liked the costumes to they were cute. Especially when Don Jose was ripping Carmen's dress apart.
The singing was amazing , I was amazed how they could remember all the words and didn’t mess up . I also was familiar with this opera because , we did it in school. Some of the songs they performed , we did a slower version. So a lot of the songs were very familiar , and it was hard not to sing along. Carmen's voice was very unique , I enjoyed her singing.
I think the creator originally wanted it to be set in the 1875 when Carmen originally came out but it was set in the 1950 and I think it was a good choice. The way they were dressed represented the 1950s and Escamillo was riding a motorcycle , so that was new . The settings on the sets seemed so real and legit , like how it was back then.
As I said before , I truly enjoyed the show , it was very long but interesting. Although I would recommend this opera to an older audience , because there were some explicit parts. Other than that I feel like it was very entertaining and I would definitely watch it again.
Chartertech
11th Grade
The story was amazing and very well portrayed. I expected Carmen to enter when she actually did, but the didn't change my thoughts on the opera. The whole thing was slightly predictable, but only because we performed a lot of the songs in the fall, so we already knew what would happen.
The music was great. My favourite song was the Toreador song. All of the songs were extremely catchy and easy to follow along. When we sang the opera at our school, we sang them a lot slower than they did in the actual performance, especially while singing the act 2 finale and a deux cuartos!.
I loved the sets. The one the seemed to be in a warehouse kind of tripped me up because I couldn't tell if the set itself was slanted or if it was the lighting and colours of the props. The marketplace during A Deux Cuartos! was really cute and well laid out, with the little carts full of fruit and the kids playing around.
The setting was also very nice, you could tell exactly what was going most of the time. The acting was amazing and the bull dancers (before Escamillo came in) were amazing and one of my favourite parts of the whole production. It was almost perfect (There were times when the kids messed up, but they're kids and it's understandable). I think also feel as though there should be an actual intermission between act 3 and 4, even though 4 isn't very long.
All in all I loved the opera, probably wouldn't pay $200 for tickets, but if I had a chance to see it again I would.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Grade 6
Carmen was amazing. It was better than I expected (and i expected it to be great). The casting, the characters, and the backgrounds were great. There were no blood bags though.
School: Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Grade: 6th
I enjoyed Carmen with it's dramatic plot, unique characters, and beautiful music. The plot was simple yet very dramatic laying a great foundation for the music and characters. The music always related to the events and emotions of the characters allowing the viewer to hear the plot unfold. The sets were amazing and helped advance the plot with the drastic changes of scenery. The setting is much different than the composer imagined (taking place almost a century later than it was composed) but it works very well and puts a bit of a different perspective to it. I would would recommend Carmen to my friends and family ages 11+ (6th grade and older) because of some sexual content.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School (BCMS)
6th grade
The performance told the story very dramatically and was very engaging my favorite character was Morales.
The music was really good my favorite song was the one Escamillo sings “Toridor on Guard” the kids were AWESOME I could never sing like that.
I really loved the sets. I liked how they start big and get smaller. The background was amazing as well and the costumes matched the setting. Carmen’s costumes were the best.
The orchestra was AMAZING! Their music matched the setting very well.
At first I thought that this opera wouldn’t be very good because I don’t really like the story itself but the actors voices were really good. I feel like some of them could project more. Micala did the best projecting and Escamillo.
Bala Cynwyd
Grade 6
The Carmen opera was great I loved it. The plot was very interesting, the last act was really intense, I really liked the quarrel between Carmen and Don Jose.
Nathan D,
Bala Cynwyd Secondary School
Grade 6
I personally disliked the opera mostly due to the fact that I don’t like operas much in general, though the sets were ok, and the voices where pretty good. The lights were really awesome it really helped with tone, and the lights hanging from the sealing where used really well to create an illusion of more depth than there actually was. It would have bin a lot more fun for me to attend if there was less repetition and repeating things as that kind of distracted from the tension. I personally hated the plot of Carmen as it's half a tragedy half a romance, and those are the two types of stories i hate the most.
Carmen would be great to see if you like tragedies/romance. It's a bit mature but for young kids and teenagers in some parts where it was sexual.
the characters mostly had well defined personalities. Carmen is independent and free, Jose is Good and just in the beggining but by the end he's desperate and lacking morals, and Escamillo is confident and good.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grade
Yesterday, I had the wonderful chance to watch Carmen for FREE. The story was very dramatic and I was instantly pulled in and not able to look away. The opera’s actors acted their characters so well, I developed a hate and love for some characters.
The Music in the opera matched all the movements. All the crescendos and decrescendos matched the emotion that they were expressing. For example, the song, Toreador by Bizet, when Escamillo sang this, it showed that he was strong and powerful.
The costumes were on point , Carmen's red dress in all the scenes, matched her bold personality. Her dress stood out of all of the other dull clothing. I think that the costumes in act 3 were the best. The costume designer nailed it. The sneaky vibe of the act was matched by the clothing of Carmen and others. The sets were amazing; they looked 3d and detailed. The only thing I disliked about the sets were that in the background, there was always a billboard. I disliked that, but I can’t blame them. They only had so much time to change the sets
The setting in the opera didn’t seem to match the 1950s, it looked earlier than that.
Overall, I think the opera was amazing, but sometimes the background was boring. I would definitely recommend this to a friend or family member because it’s full of action and drama. Carmen was great!
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grade
The actors were really expressive especially Carmen, you could see the emotion on her face as she sang and acted. The music was probably my favorite parts and the singing went well with it. I really liked the sets, they were very creative and made the space look a lot bigger or smaller than it was. My favorite set was the smuggler base, the lighting was really clever. The spotlights did a nice job keeping everyone in the light too. I could have done with less intermissions, they were kind of long, I could understand one, but three was a bit much. The costumes really improved the experience, they really went well with the characters. I liked the 1950’s theme and I don’t think it distracted from the action at all. I would definitely go to it again. It was really good!
Radnor Middle School
Grade 6
I enjoyed watching Carmen at Opera Philadelphia. I loved the music, set, story, and pretty much everything about it. I had never seen an opera before, and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after seeing Carmen, I have a better understanding and interest for opera. Since seeing the show, I cannot get the music out of my head! One of my favorite songs was the one that Escamillo sang. The actors portraying the characters were very talented and did a great job. I also thought the set was fascinating because of the way it was made gave the illusion that it was bigger than it was. It looked very realistic! After seeing the opera, Carmen, I am looking forward to hopefully seeing more operas in the future!
I thought that Carmen was amazing. I loved every ones voice, and the language not being in English made even more fun. Most people don’t like that it is in a different language, but I kind of like it. I usually don’t like operas, but this one was incredible. I did have one problem though. I felt like some of the sets didn’t match what was going on in that scene. For the last scene I got an apartment building vibe, rather than a bull fighting vibe. I also felt like the ending scene was a little slow. They went back and forth. Don Jose saying “you don’t love me” and Carmen saying “I love someone else now.” They went on like that for a long time. But other than that I loved everything about it. My favorite person was Michaela. I loved her solo when she was hiding in the ware house waiting for Don Jose. It was absolutely beautiful. She was by far my favorite character. Overall 10/10 I would see it again, and I would bring my family.
1. in 1950 why would people be standing on the build board above the factory same question with the bull fight place there were 3 layers of the stand
2. Next question Why did the Factory look like a prison for the beginning I thought the factory was a prison then when all the girls came out I realized that it was the factory
3. Why wasn’t the subtitles on for every word i could not follow it and I wanted to know what they were saying
If you could answer the questions that would be great besides my thoughts it was good for a first opera.
My name is Colin Mucksavage and I go to Radnor Middle School
Radnor Middle School
6th Grade
I enjoyed watching Carmen, the thing that stood out to me the most is the music. I found the music very entertaining and I always went with what was happening on stage. For example when something exciting was happening the orchestra would play very quickly, and when something bad would happen they might play very slow. Another thing I liked about the Carmen was how passionate the performers were. All the performers really wanted to portray the role of their character, and wanted the show to be as good as possible. The captioning was another thing I liked about the Opera. I cannot understand French so the captioning helped me understand what was happening and what they were saying. My favorite part of the opera was when Don Jose and Escamillo had a knife fight.
Radnor Middle School
Sixth Grade
I did enjoy this opera more than I thought I would. It was action packed and exciting, whereas I thought that it was going to be very boring and really just people singing on a stage. I really enjoyed when people had the knife/sword fights because they were thrilling and as I said before not just people singing on a stage. I thought the background of the stage was cool as well. My personal favorite background was the smugglers hideout because it looked so real and like it was an actual hideout-not one in a play.
Although, I thought it was very difficult to know which character was Frasquita and which character was Mercedes. They were together most of the time and throughout the entire opera, I didn’t know which was which. It wasn’t that they looked alike; they just never clarified who was who. Another thing that I didn’t enjoy as much was when everyone was singing together, including the chorus I felt it was a little too loud. I felt that sometimes it was fine and didn’t bother me but at other times I wanted to cover my ears because the singing was so loud. Overall I did enjoy this opera much more than I thought I would as it was more exciting and thrilling rather than boring.
Radnor Middle School
6th grade
I did not like the Opera for a couple reasons. The first reason was my general preference I don’t like Operas I think there boring. One reason I did not like this Opera was the fact that it was boring I thought 95% of the opera was boring except for the end. Another reason I did not like the Opera was where our seats. There were polls in our way and I could only see half the stage. I also did not like the opera because it was too long way to long half way through the Opera I was fighting to not fall asleep. Another reason I did not like the Opera was the fact that it was in French it was annoying because I had to read and what at the same time so I was not really focused on the play. The last reason I did not like he Opera was because did not understand the play very much It was different than the script they gave us.
Radnor Middle School
The production of Carmen was a heartbreaking and incredible. The story was so intense and romantic that it could make any person immediately fall in love with it. The acting was quite believable that anyone could be quite convinced. The sets were grand and amazed me how realistic and perfectly placed they were. At one point I was so convinced that the stage turned into an actual hallway when really it was just a gigantic painting. Of all things the actors and their singing was what awed me the most. Their perfectly in tune and synced voices filled the theatre. Even an opera hater would immediately start to enjoy operas because of their breathtaking voices. Each word they sang showed emotions like fright, joy, or even displeasure. Overall, Carmen was an incredible show that blew mind away. Nothing was quite as amazing as seeing the opera Carmen.
Radnor Middle School
Grade 6
When Crossroads went to see the magnificent opera called “Carmen”, I was absolutely stunned at the show that was performed for us. The bold sound blew me away and I was truly moved by a few tunes. The way the actors projected their voices was absolutely amazing and beautiful. I also loved that the actors were having an amazing time. I could tell that they were because they had wide grins on their faces in most of the acts, with the exception of the serious scenes. “Carmen” is an amazing opera that I would absolutely recommend to anyone. I have actually discovered a quote that I completely agree with and how I felt this opera was. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched-they must be felt with the heart.” This quote is from Helen Keller, and I completely agree with this statement. “Carmen” is the most beautiful thing in the whole universe, and I truly felt it with my heart. It was extremely breathtaking and heartfelt and after it was completed I was upset that it wasn’t going to continue to go on. But anyway, “Carmen” is a piece of art, and I was lucky enough to get to see it.
Radnor Middle School
Grade 6
Carmen Blog
I found this show to be very entertaining. One reason is the fact that I’ve never seen an opera before but also liked watching the orchestra a lot. Also, I thought that the music went well with the scenes. (I.e. at the bull fight, when the Don Jose was approaching Carmen the music sounded very serious and set the mood). Out of all the sound effects, the most interesting one was when Don Jose cut Carmen. The sound was very realistic. Plus, the actors were amazing with their facial expressions and body language.
Also the fashion designers did an excellent job making the clothes. For example, Carmen’s dress was red. When you say “red”, I think of love and blood. This connects to Carmen’s story because she falls deeply in love with so many people, and she died in the end. Overall, I enjoyed the show a lot.
Radnor Middle School
Grade 6
I thought that the opera was well-done. I liked how the story played out and the music. However, I was informed that there would be a bit of blood. Not much, but a little where it was needed, and that didn’t happen. I was expecting that to happen, but I was a little disappointed when I found out that it wasn’t happening in our show. I do think that it would add some extra detail. Also, the fashion designers did an excellent job making Carmen’s dress a deep shade of red.
The transitions to intermissions between acts were very smooth and well-timed. But some of the parts were a little boring. Like in the very beginning, I was a little bored watching this. I did enjoy how the actors were very expressive with their voices, and how their voices would tell which parts were important and which ones weren’t.
Overall, I enjoyed the opera and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in this kind of performance.
Radnor Middle School
Grade 6
When I first walked into the Academy of Music, it was beautiful. I walked with my class to the place we were sitting and I was so excited for the opera to start. The performance was magnificent; everything was beautiful from the orchestra to the singers it was amazing. When it started, everyone went silent and it started. The stage set up was wonderful, and the clothes were very pretty. The actors were great, actors and their singing was lovely. Over all I loved the opera.
Radnor Middle School
6th grade
In my opinion, I really enjoyed the opera and it was so much better than I thought it would be. During the first act, I was so engaged when Carmen cut Michaela’s face and was very fascinated with all the dancing and singing. My favorite part was in the last act when Don Jose killed Carmen because there was a lot of suspense on the stage and I could see everybody on the edge of their seat waiting to see what would happen next. The orchestra and band people made that scene very suspenseful with their music and without them, the entire show wouldn’t have been the best and of course, you also needed the performers which were beyond great. Everybody did so well and acted very well, it looked so real. The sets and backgrounds for each act were very detailed and they looked very realistic. While we talked about the opera during school, I understood it more and since it was spoken in French, I knew what was happening without having to look up at the translator. This was the best opera I have ever seen.
Radnor Middle School
Grade 6
With Carmen being the first opera I have seen, I had high expectations for it, and it went above and beyond all of my expectations. The only two things (and I’ll keep it brief) I didn’t like was when Carmen zipped down her dress and when Don Jose stuck his head into Carmen’s butt, but that’s all the bad stuff. Let’s get onto everything good about this production! (Which is pretty much everything!)
What really got me into this opera is the music. I have heard some of these pieces before, mainly when I was little. Hearing all these pieces again got me really happy and got me into the show more. My favorites were Carmen’s aria in Act I and Escamillo’s song (the one that went, ‘Toreador, on guard!’). I quietly hummed along to the songs I recognized, and wore a smile.
The sets and costumes for this opera were also phenomenal. It really captured the fact that it was in Spain in the 1950s and once the opera started, I really got immersed into Carmen’s world. It felt like I was I was in the cigarette factory begging for the soldiers to let me out. It felt like confetti was being thrown on me while going to the bullfight. It also felt like I felt their feelings for a bit, like when Carmen was sad that her fortune was death, I felt sad too.
Carmen is truly something spectacular and special, and I was glad I was given the opportunity to watch for free with my classmates.
Grace Gordon
April 26, 2018
Carmen Blog
I definitely enjoyed seeing Carmen, it was very well done and the costumes and sets were amazing. Although from a kids point of view I would rather it be in English, but I know it’s traditional and many other people appreciate that. I liked the fight between Carmen and Don Jose at the end when Carmen told Don Jose that she loved Escamillo. It was a very vivid scene and showed lots of tension. I also liked the scene where the gypsies and the smugglers were waiting with their weapons. The illusion was cool to make it look like hat wall of windows kept on going back. One thing that was really amazing was that the kids actually had somewhat operatic voices even though it takes years to master opera singing.
Dustin W. Schrader
Grade 6
Carmen Review
I really enjoyed watching Carmen. I never thought that Opera would be interesting to me. I always thought of opera as a bunch of high pitched voices breaking glass. I thought I would hate it I did not have high expectations walking into the theater either, and was uneasy about the fact I’d have to listen to it for three hours. However, I was blown away the minute it started. The set design first of all was great. There wasn’t too much or too little, it felt just right. Sometimes I was surprised that even the simplest sets were the most effective towards the show. Not only was I blown away by the set but also by the voices and the acting. I thought that everyone would just stand there singing their words and then make a motion, and then sing again, but I was wrong. I thought the acting and choreography was great and really put emphasis in the meaning of the opera. I enjoyed going and now I have more of an appreciation for opera even if it is not my favorite things to listen to. thank you for providing us a show for free, it was definitely worth the trip.
Radnor Middle School
6th Grade
Carmen
On Wednesday April 24th, my classroom and I went to the Academy of Music to see the opera production of Carmen. I really liked the performance, but I was only able to see a little part of the stage. But even though I could not see the whole thing, I really liked the parts that I did see. I also really like the story of Carmen and how it doesn’t a very happy ending. I like that because every story that I know has a happy ending for the main character, and that for this Opera, it’s ending is not like any other ending, and I think that that made this story special.
I also liked the set design and I thought that it looked like the performers were preforming outside in the real world. Another thing that I liked was the outfits the performers wore and I thought that the outfits represented the performers really well.
Overall, after seeing the opera production of Carmen, I can now see Opera in a different perspective.
Radnor Middle School
Grade 6
The Carmen Opera was amazing! My favorite part of the play was the part when Carmen reads her future. Every time she turns over a card, she sees death, her first, and then her loved one. I loved the opera singer’s voices. Although I did not understand what they were saying, I read the script and knew what was happening. My favorite act was probably act 4 because it was most intense and dramatic. The most intense and dramatic thing that happened in the act was when Carmen died and how Don Jose would not let Carmen pass. I also liked the orchestra because I think that any scene without music is boring. A scary scene wouldn’t be a scary scene without its frightening music. The opera also had great emotion. For example, when Carmen was reading her future, she sounded disappointed and annoyed.
Dustin W. Schrader
Grade 6
Carmen Review
I really enjoyed watching Carmen. I never thought that Opera would be interesting to me. I always thought of opera as a bunch of high pitched voices breaking glass. I thought I would hate it I did not have high expectations walking into the theater either, and was uneasy about the fact I’d have to listen to it for three hours. However, I was blown away the minute it started. The set design first of all was great. There wasn’t too much or too little, it felt just right. Sometimes I was surprised that even the simplest sets were the most effective towards the show. Not only was I blown away by the set but also by the voices and the acting. I thought that everyone would just stand there singing their words and then make a motion, and then sing again, but I was wrong. I thought the acting and choreography was great and really put emphasis in the meaning of the opera. I enjoyed going and now I have more of an appreciation for opera even if it is not my favorite things to listen to. thank you for providing us a show for free, it was definitely worth the trip.
Radnor Middle School
Kenny Hwang
6th grade
Radnor Middle School
Grade six
This April, my class of 40 went to the Opera Carmen at the Opera Philadelphia. When I found out we were going, my first impressions were positive. I am a big fan of musicals and preforming arts, so this was exciting for me. But once we started learning more about opera, I was a little worried. Three hours is a long time to be sitting down. Fortunately, for almost the entire time, I was very attentive and I am extremely happy I got the opportunity to see Carmen.
One thing that kept me really attentive was the music. Although the music was in French, my class and I went over the story curve, so I knew what they were singing about. But if you don’t understand what is going on, you can always look up at the titles above the stage. Even though Carmen was the main character, I could easily follow each and every other character. I could see how the characters were feeling because of the music.
Another thing that really caught my attention was the sets. The Opera Philadelphia made the stage look like a town or an arena. My favorite set was the warehouse where the smugglers kept their smuggled items. They made the stage look humongous with the way they placed the windows and window frames.
The last thing that really interested me was the characters. Each character was different and I really liked the idea that even the main character wasn’t perfect. I also liked how the characters changed. For example Don Jose started out as a kind but stubborn man, but then once he met Carmen, he became a desperate man. Jose even left his elderly mother for Carmen, only for her to leave him. Eventually Don Jose did come back for his dying mother, but he certainly wasn’t the same man he was in the beginning of the Opera.
Overall I am very, very happy I got a chance to see this wonderful opera. There are many reasons to which this is true. One of those reasons is the music; another is the amazing sets, the last but certainly not least is the characters and how they were portrayed and how they changed throughout the story.
I think that the opera was good. I liked how they wernt just standing there singing they were acting a little to. One thing that could improve is the last intermission could be a little longer. If you had to go to the bathroom and the lines are you would miss some of the amazing show.
Radnor Middle School
6th Grade
I really enjoyed watching Carmen. I think that it had a great storyline that was especially easy to follow because of the translations at the top of the stage. I think that the plot was very engaging and interesting, and that kept me watching intently the whole opera. Another thing I liked was how good the soundtrack was and how the singing really enhanced everything the performers were trying to say. I also liked how eventful the opera was. Every single scene had a special event that kept the opera interesting. One thing I disliked was my view of the stage. I couldn’t see half of the stage and I missed lots of acting and visual parts of the opera. I understand that there isn’t much that can be done about this, but I thought I would put it here so that your other operas have more acting in the middle of the stage, so that way everyone can see more of the important parts. In conclusion, watching Carmen was a great experience and I would definitely watch this production again.
Radnor Middle School
Grade 6
I loved going to see the opera Carmen in Philadelphia and I feel like it was a wonderful experience to have. I thought it was very cool to be on the third level because you could see the whole stage, or at least I could. Lots of my classmates could not really see anything so that was annoying and made the whole experience less fun then it could have been, but hey that’s how things work.
Now for what is actually on stage, I think the sets were amazing. Everything was so intricate and detailed. The set really fit in with the time period it was set in. it was really cool how the set pieces had different levels that the performers went on, it just adds that cool touch. In addition I noticed that the sets but mostly the building ones were slanted which from the front would make it look very realistic. I also loved the logo that was on the curtain that came down at the end of each act, along with the lights that were shining onto it.
Don’t even get me started with the costumes, they were amazing and really took me to the 1950’s. Especially Carmen’s costumes, hers really screamed 50’s in my face. Her dress in act 2 was amazing and really fit into the show well. Don Jose’s costumes were great too, they were simple but really fit in the storyline well. I think Michaela could have had a different costume in act 3 than the one she was wearing in act 1.
I loved the music and the orchestra did amazing along with the performers. It is amazing to me how I could hear them so clearly without any type of microphone, their voices really filled the room. I was very surprised by how many of the songs I already knew, but did not know they were from Carmen. My favorite arias were Escamillo’s and Michaela’s. I also loved the part when the children were singing and dancing in act 1 and 4.
Overall I am so glad and thankful that I got to go to see Carmen, I really enjoyed it and thought it was an amazing experience to have as a middle school student. Thank you so much for choosing us to come and see this wonderful production.
Radnor Middle School
Grade 6
Carmen at the Opera Philadelphia is wonderful! Usually when kids would have the opportunity to go see an opera they will most likely at first not be as excited as most adults going to see it, but anyone who goes to see Carmen at the Philadelphia Opera will be delightfully surprised. The set design was so incredible you couldn’t take your eyes off of it! The singers all had to beautiful and strong voices with sorrow and joy mixed into them. Along with the singers the musicians were fantastic. The music would flow to your ear and really make you feel as if you were in the time and place of the opera. The best part of the whole show was Carmen. Her voice strong, beautiful and clear filling the whole theatre. One of my personally favorites was Micaela. Her voice, just so lovely to listen too. Jose also had an amazing voice along with the rest of the cast. Also something I noticed was there were a fair amount of people in the cast. Usually when you think of opera you think of the main people and that’s it but in this opera you get multiple voices all mixed to together to make a wonderful chorus. I definitely suggest that you go to see Carmen this year in Philadelphia. I am grateful for the experience and also to have the first opera I see to be Carmen.
Radnor middle School
Grade 6
I thought going to Carmen was a great experience and I really enjoyed it. I say this because the music was very emotional, and some of the songs got very intense. I also thought in Act III it started to get more deep and that’s when all the action started happening, so I started to get way more engaged in that way. Something I noticed was that ALL the performers were in character and everyone felt as if they were really expressive. In addition, when I heard this opera was three hours I was so shocked and surprised that I wouldn’t last that long! But, I realized it went by way quicker than expected.
Furthermore, I also thought the costumes really suited the characters well, and it set their personality. These costumes also made me feel like I was in the 1950’s too!
The story itself (Carmen) was a stimulating story and really amazed me mid-way through the show. The events in the story lead to one after the other and got so much more extreme. For instance, when Escamilio took Carmen to watch the bull fighting, who knew that she loved him now? Even though some of these events were hard to keep up with, towards the end it made more sense.
Not to mention, when Don Jose was jealous of Carmen because she loved Escamilio there was a huge plot twist. Don Jose, Jealous of Carmen? It was so crazy, and we all knew what was going to happen at the end. Furthermore, when Carmen said how she didn’t love Don Jose that was when the heat started to rise. I thought this was so interesting, and this was when everyone’s eyes were focused on the stage to see what had happened next. Finally, I definitely enjoyed seeing Carmen and would love to see it another time!
Julia R Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
5th Grade
The actors made the whole thing look really realistic. Like when Carmen cuts the other woman in the face with the knife, it looked real! I think the opera was fantastic!
JR Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
5th grade
I loved this opera. I Loved the sets and thought that they were very creative and i thought the plot was very cool.I also thought the actors/singers were great and showed interest in what they were saying and doing. I did think it was pretty innapropiate at some points. Overall, i think the Opera was great and i recommend you go and see it.
-sincerly JR Masterman student #12 p.s. you should bring a snack since it is very long.
School: J.R. Masterman
Grade: 5
I liked the set and thought it was very well detailed. I did not like my seating because I was put across from a pole. I also did not like the fact that the opera was in french so it was harder to understand. I liked the drama and thought it was very realistic. Overall, I think is is well done.
My rating
J.R Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
Grade 5
I think the Opera was an outstanding performance. I loved the music and actresses/actors and singers. The scene was very nice looking and realistic.
I think the bad things were, it was too long. I started to get a little bored and sleepy at times because it was 3 hours long. Also, I think it was very inappropriate for children under 13 at times. I also got hungry at times, so I think there should have been snacks there.
Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and demonstration school
5th grade
the opera carmen was impressive and expressional. the sets that were made seemed to swallow the stage and made it seem like you were actually observing from afar. while the plot was not to my taste, the sets were amazing adn full of detail, and the actors had powerful voices and are suited exactly to the scene.
Jack Zhou
Yesterday, I had a chance to see Carmen for free. It was a great show, however, the language I didn't really understand. I understand that there was sub-titles but for me it was hard to see. Other then that everything was great except when my friend said that Don Jose kissed a weird part of Carmen. Otherwise, it was a great show with a great story line.
Michael
JR Masterman Demonstration School
5th Grade
This opera was a mix of music and a great story plot along with great actors and singers. The opera had an amazing story plot and I would love to see an opera just like it. Although it wasn't in English, it was still great. Another thing I absolutely loved about it was that the opera took place in the 1950s. This story of jealousy and anger was twisted with tragedy and loss.
5th Grade
I really enjoyed Carmen I thought it was a very well done production.The costumes and scenery was modern and the actors were incredible it takes a lot of energy and talent to be able to sing that well.Bizet made the most amazing music but it is horrible that he past thinking his show was terrible and didn't get to see it as it is now being one of the most famous operas.Also hats off to Daniela Mack for the role of Carmen she was amazing.I will definitely tell others to go see it overall I really enjoyed that producton.
JR Masterman
5th grade
During the opera the sets, actors, and scenes were very impressive. All of the sets were very large, detailed, and gave an amazing representation of what Seville looks like. My favorite set was the warehouse. I loved how the set used perspective to make it seem larger. As an example, the warehouse set was small in the back and large in the front. I noticed that all of the actors during the play used expression during the performance. This made the opera more dramatic. Carmen used her voice to show as a form an expression.She switched on off from a high, low, soft, and loud voice. Each scene in the opera was different from the others. Every scene contained drama, romance, and violence. Overall the opera "Carmen" was very unique and an amazing opera.
Zephyra D.
Julia Reynolds Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
5th grade
I really enjoyed Carmen. The singing, acting, and costume was very good, and interested me a lot. There were a few parts of the opera that I did not consider to be child friendly, but overall it was very good. Another problem for me is that I found it difficult to follow along with what people are saying. However, I did enjoy the opera very much, and it is something that I will not forget.
JR Masterman Demonstration School
5th Grade
The actors were great. I can tell how they feel and their personality. The music was also great. The orchestra was able to show intense and happy scenes. I liked the costumes. They really showed how people dressed at the time. The dances showed expression too. They show mood of the seen. The set design was amazing. Not only did it show the set, but it shows us the different building designs at the time. I like how the sets show perspective. Overall, the opera is outstanding and watching it was one the the best experiences I had.
J.R Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
5th Grade
I think that it was a great opera. I think this because the actors acted,sang, and danced in such a professional way that it seemed as it were the real opera instead of a finale dress rehearsal witch it was meant to be. I also love theopera was costumes worn by the actors. The costumes really tied in with the theme of the opera. The costume designers must have gone though a lot of work to make the costumes. Overall the opera was good
JR Masterman Middle School
5th Grade
The actors conveyed the emotion perfectly; I could have gotten the meaning of the play even without the English subtitles and me knowing what would happen. Furthermore, the intermissions were a nice break, and they were necessary due to the fact that they needed to change sets. I also really liked how it was set in the 1950s because then it made more sense. Some parts were a little... PG13 which was kind of funny because then it caused me and friends to cover each others eyes. Overall, the full opera was a strong... 3/5.
JR Masterman Demonstration School
5th Grade
I think that the opera Carmen was a very interesting opera. I liked how the actors and actresses were very expressive. The costumes were very well matched with the 1950´s theme. The singing was also very expressive. The sets were built strong and sturdy, yet very creative. Also, I was not distracted by anything else. I felt like my eyes could not pull away from the opera! The only thing that I did not really like was the not very school appropriate parts. But overall I would rate this a 4.5 out of 5.It was a very very very very very very very very very good opera!!!!!!!!!!!!
JR Masterman School
I think that the opera Carmen was very good. All of the actors and actresses were very expressive. The costumes and sets were so creative and matched well with what the actors and actresses were doing. The spotlights also did a good job, always keeping the main actors/actresses in the spotlight. I also like how the time it was set in was in the 1950´s. If I could, I would defintely go see Carmen again. I would rate it a 4.5 out of 5.
School: Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Grade: 6
The actors facial expressions and how they really dug into there characters helped you to really feel engaged in the plot. For example in part 4 you could really feel Don Jose anger and jealousy
There voices were amazing and definitely carried them forward. I have never seen an opera before and I was amazed at the power of there voices.
The sets were very detailed and I noticed that in part 1 and 3 the sets gave an illusion to make the stage seem bigger. Some of the costumes were simplistic, but carmen's were bright and really stood out, which I thought went with the story line.
I liked the update of the setting because it was a time when woman didn’t have lots of power, which made carmen’s point that she didn't want to be owned mean even more.
I would definitely recommend this to my family and friends because it's a very fun opera which keeps you engaged, and the power of the singers voices really blows you away.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grade
This opera was an exciting experience because of all the conflict there was and how the characters tried to solve their problems with each other. I especially liked how some of the sets and costumes were not back in 1875 but yet did not stand out so much. The music and emotion of the voices added to the dramatic conflict. I recommend Carmen to anyone to loves a good drama story.
Amy NW middle school
7th grade
For me the opera was highly interesting and I believe I would go see another. The actor/singer which played Carmen was beautiful and made the character seem real.
Laila Morrison
Amy Northwest Middle school
7th grade
Kaylee Scott
Amy Northwest Middle School
Grade 7
Amy Northwest Middle School
7th grade
What I first thought of the opera Carmen was that it would be a stereotype of all other opera's, but it wasn't. It captured me and some of my pupils into the plot. At first when it started it seemed boring, but then when the plot developed I started to see the beauty;art; and music of the whole opera.
Bala Cynwyd middle school
6th Grade
The performance was very dramatic, for example in the last scene Don José was ripping Carmen's clothes apart and when he tried to choke her she made it seem like it was real.
The music carried the characters and their actions forward because when the singers were mad the music got louder and more dramatic.
The sets made the story look more realistic and the costumes made Carmen stand out because of her brightly colored clothing and the difference between her costumes and other characters costumes.
The opera took place in Seville,Spain in thes 1950s. It was updated but that didn't really change the power of the piece.
I would recommend "Carmen" to my friends and family because it was a really engaging opera that kept you on the edge of your seat.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th grade
Plot and characters
In the performance Carmen written by Georges Bizet, The actors were amazing. The plot of the story was so engaging. They were in sync. I was very impressed by two things. One was how loud they could sing. They can fill the entire room with volume without a microphone. The second thing I was impressed with was all the actions that they had to remember while singing. This includes facial expressions, body movements etc. This made the story much more dramatic. The plot of the story Carmen goes somewhere along these lines. There is a gypsy woman named Carmen who meets Don Jose'. Don Jose' falls in love with Carmen. Don Jose' goes to the gypsy's smuggling warehouse where Carmen breaks up with him. Escamillo comes then Carmen falls in love with him. Then they go to Escamillo’s bull fight where Don Jose' kills Carmen.
Music & Voices
The music played a big part in the opera. When the music was building, so was the plot. Some parts were lively and joyful, while other pieces of music were very low and built up to a bad scene. You could anticipate was going to happen, and this made the story much better. As I mentioned earlier, the voices were exquisite. It must be super difficult to sing at that volume, and I wonder how long they have been training.
Staging
The stages and settings were beautiful! They had perfect size props and a couple, looked like the stage space increased double the size. The settings also helped the plot by setting the mood. The warehouse setting was my favorite. It set such a mood, and they had fans running so that was even better! It is cool how they featured temperatures during the opera. This made the opera even more engaging.
Setting
The setting was in the 1950’s which was different but didn’t play that much of a difference. The only difference I noticed were the costumes, and the background. This made the colors jump out more so this, in my opinion, made the play better. The composer Georges Bizet originally wrote this to be in the 1860’s so he didn't imagine a setting like this.
My opinion
I thought this opera was amazing, and it was my first, and because of this I would like to go to many other operas. I Would also recommend this to anyone in 6th grade and older. This is because of some procreative content.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grade
Carmen is a strong independent women who can not be tied down by any man without her own consent. She gets a soldier, Don Jose, to fall for her to avoid getting thrown in prison and believes she is in love, though shortly after they reconnect she loses interest. Carmen finds a new suitor, Escamillo the bullfighter, but Don Jose still wants her and if he can’t have her no one can.
The music accompanying the actors moved the plot along by adding the necessary mood involved, it sounded beautiful too, which any age would love. The voices were amazing to and the acting that went with them. Micaela had a very innocent voice which matched character, while Carmen sang with a little more attitude, but all was really great singing.
The background was astonishing it added to the audience’s amazement as well as the props and dancing opportunities it gave. The costumes really showed the personality of each individual whether they were a cigarette girl or a kid on the street. I also liked how Don Jose’s outfit just got dirtier throughout the performance to show how he was becoming mad with love.
I think the time has definitely been updated recently, there are certain technologies like motorcycles that the composer would never have had in his time. But in no way takes from the opera, if anything it adds. It uses a common stereotype like the leather jacket and motorcycle to show Escamillo as the cool guys everyone wants to be.
Without a doubt, I would definitely recommend this for my friends and family. Carmen is filled with drama and excitement and everything you would look for in a good tv show except better because it has music. This was an amazing experience that I would definitely want to do again.
Clara
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th grade
Before I went to see Carmen, I wasn’t sure how I would like it. However, when I got there, I found myself engaged in the story, about a gypsy girl names Carmen who makes a soldier named Don José fall in love with her, but later falls in love with a toreador named Escamillo, causing Don José to kill Carmen.
I thought that the voices were amazing, and even though none of the singers had microphones, I was able to hear them perfectly. My favorite song was the aria that Escamillo sings, Toreador, also known as Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre. Also, I thought that the acting was great, the actors also used facial expressions to show how they were feeling.
The set added to the plot. It made you feel like you were there, and was very well made. At the smugglers hideout, I thought the set was amazing. The set designers did a really good job. Same with the costume designers. I feel like all of the costumes showed the characters personality, especially the red dress Carmen was wearing.
The setting of the opera has been updated, with it being the 1950s during this production. In my opinion, this works, because Carmen is a powerful woman, and the 1950s was a time where men were coming back from the war and wanted their jobs back, but women didn’t want to give them up.
Also, I really liked all of the characters. I liked how they had flaws, and that they changed throughout the opera. The orchestra really added to the opera, with the music really creating the mood for each scene.
I would definitely recommend the opera to my friends and family because it is a great story and has really amazing acting. However, I probably wouldn’t recommend this to younger kids because it is long and can be a little slow at places, and is more mature at some points.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th Grader
This opera was far beyond my expectations. The music and the voices were very loud and grand, it was easy to hear in the audience. This was very enjoyable to watch. The music carried the mood all the way through the performance very smoothly. The sets looked very real and the lighting added a sort of feeling to the performance. The performers were very focused on the performance and they did an amazing job. They played their characters as if the performance was real life. It was breathtaking and astonishing. The opera originally was supposed to take place in 1830. It appeared that this performance was during the mid 1900s. The men were mostly away fighting the war, while the women took their jobs at the factories. The opera has clearly been updated, and it adds to the power of the women and Carmen in the piece. I would definitely recommend this opera to my friends and family. It was great, and it was totally worth my time.
Grade: 9
School: Archbishop Wood High School
Seeing “Carmen” was a very good experience. I had heard a lot of opera music before seeing “Carmen,” but this was the first time I ever saw a live opera. I had seen many musicals before, and had experienced many shows in the theatre, but this style of art was new to me, and the performance blew me away. The show was performed phenomenally and dramatically, engaging the audience in the plot through the beautiful music. “Carmen” tells the story of a love triangle between a cigarette factory worker named Carmen, a soldier named Don Jose, and a Toreador named Escamillo. Both men want Carmen, and Carmen leads both of them on. After a series of events, Carmen decides that she loves Escamillo, which enrages Don Jose, who kills Carmen.
The music in this opera is amazing. There are multiple songs that are recognizable even to people who aren’t hardcore opera fans. I had heard multiple songs from this opera beforehand, but they were performed so well that it completely blew my expectations out of the water. My favorite arias from the show were “Toreador Song” and the “Habanera.” The reason I loved these arias was because of the beautiful back and forth between th leads and the chorus, as well as the power that they were performed with.
Besides the music, I was also extremely impressed with the sets. Unlike many sets of musicals I had seen before, the sets for this opera were detailed and realistic looking. The depth of the stage and sets made it look like Seville was right in front of you. I loved the interactivity of the sets too; how every door was used, how there were always people on the billboard’s landings, and how the tables and chairs were used as part of the scene. Overall the sets made the setting of the show feel more real and involved in the plot.
I feel that if I had one criticism of this opera, it would be the lack of unified time setting. I got a little bit confused by what time the While the costumes were amazing looking, I felt like Escamillo’s leather jacket, jeans, and motorcycle didn’t belong to the same time period as Don Jose’s v-neck white shirt and suspenders. Also, in a show knives are used for lots of violence in the plot, it was slightly confusing to have so many people with modern guns. I felt overall that I just wasn’t sure what time period this show took place in.
Overall the show was amazing. I would highly recommend this opera to all of my family and friends. “Carmen” has songs recognizable to opera newcomers, but the plot and music that will enthrall an opera frequent. This opera was everything and more for what I expected out of my first opera.
Grade: 9
School: Archbishop Wood High School
Seeing “Carmen” was a very good experience. I had heard a lot of opera music before seeing “Carmen,” but this was the first time I ever saw a live opera. I had seen many musicals before, and had experienced many shows in the theatre, but this style of art was new to me, and the performance blew me away. The show was performed phenomenally and dramatically, engaging the audience in the plot through the beautiful music. “Carmen” tells the story of a love triangle between a cigarette factory worker named Carmen, a soldier named Don Jose, and a Toreador named Escamillo. Both men want Carmen, and Carmen leads both of them on. After a series of events, Carmen decides that she loves Escamillo, which enrages Don Jose, who kills Carmen.
The music in this opera is amazing. There are multiple songs that are recognizable even to people who aren’t hardcore opera fans. I had heard multiple songs from this opera beforehand, but they were performed so well that it completely blew my expectations out of the water. My favorite arias from the show were “Toreador Song” and the “Habanera.” The reason I loved these arias was because of the beautiful back and forth between th leads and the chorus, as well as the power that they were performed with.
Besides the music, I was also extremely impressed with the sets. Unlike many sets of musicals I had seen before, the sets for this opera were detailed and realistic looking. The depth of the stage and sets made it look like Seville was right in front of you. I loved the interactivity of the sets too; how every door was used, how there were always people on the billboard’s landings, and how the tables and chairs were used as part of the scene. Overall the sets made the setting of the show feel more real and involved in the plot.
I feel that if I had one criticism of this opera, it would be the lack of unified time setting. I got a little bit confused by what time the While the costumes were amazing looking, I felt like Escamillo’s leather jacket, jeans, and motorcycle didn’t belong to the same time period as Don Jose’s v-neck white shirt and suspenders. Also, in a show knives are used for lots of violence in the plot, it was slightly confusing to have so many people with modern guns. I felt overall that I just wasn’t sure what time period this show took place in.
Overall the show was amazing. I would highly recommend this opera to all of my family and friends. “Carmen” has songs recognizable to opera newcomers, but the plot and music that will enthrall an opera frequent. This opera was everything and more for what I expected out of my first opera.
-Sarah
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Grade 6
-Noah
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Grade 6
The Opera “Carmen” is about a factory worker named Carmen. Her spirit is willed and untamed as she compares it to a bird who can not be tied down, though she seems to be a good role model of her time, courageous and different than the norm, she is in many ways immature, she flirts with boys for pleasure with no means to love them. Eventually she comes across a soldier Don Jose, a strict rule follower with a sick mother who does not fall fo Carmen. Because of this, Carmen loves him, or so she thinks, and seduces him and eventually convinced him the flea to the mountains with her and four other gypsys for a smuggling job. Then next character who enters is proud raindiant full-of-himself Escamillo when at a restaurant Carmen steals his heart away. In the mountains Don Jose hears his mother is dying and fleas to her Carmen enraged with Don Jose, breaks up with him and claims Escamillo he lover. Finally, at one of Escamillo’s bull fights, Don Jose sees Carmen still loving her and slits her throat for not loving him in return.
The background music flowed in perfect sync with the singers and it really added to the drama of the entire story. I think the best vocal moment was in the 2nd act when Don Jose sang about how much he loved Carmen and about how when he was in jail he would gaze at the rose Carmen gave him and think of her.
The sets were really spectacular and the costume really match the mode, each different set arrangement was like a different world.
I believe the time setting was changed for the better, because, since it was moved closer to this time period, this empowers the idea the change can still be achieved without altering the plot. This change also adds to the plot because you realize these events could happen now.
I would recommend this opera because the set and choreography was incredible and even though it got pretty slow in the 3rd Act by the end there was dancing and confetti and it seemed like all of the actors were putting in there all and the voices were amazing.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Grade 6
I though the opera was the most amazing stage performed thing I’ve seen! I was extremely engaged in the plot and knew exactly what was going on, I was so eager to see what was going to happen next! Carmen is a gypsy who loves people who despise her and despises people who love her, she is rude at times and is very clever. Don Jose does not like Carmen at first but when Carmen shows lots of love for him his mind is changed, when Carmen leaves him he is desperate, angry and confused. He is obsessed with Carmen and after she tells him many times she doesn’t love him anymore he is still too obsessed and eventually kills her. Escamillo is a bullfighter who meets Carmen at a club, they fall in love just a bit and Escamillo is totally clueless that Carmen is in love with someone else. Escamillo is very rich and powerful and strong so Carmen turns to him and is later killed by Don Jose because Escamillo was dating Carmen instead.
I liked the song where Escamillo sang alone and sang the toreador song because I though it was really cool and it kept me really involved with the plot. I also liked the habanera because it was a very famous song and I was looking forward to hearing it as well.
The costumes were very realistic and they really brought out the characters the actors were playing. The sets were really amazing and really complex, I loved how they had different levels and could be turned around to be different things too. In act III the warehouse background was really cool looking and it was so realistic I couldn’t even tell how it could’ve been made. I also thought the spots and positions everyone were in were also impressive because it must be weird and hard to remember to do the same thing every single time.
I don’t think it is a distraction at all, I think it is a bit confusing because it is in spain but the opera is in french, but overall it is an amazing opera and it was not that hard to understand even without the subtitles because the characters and set were sooooooo good!
I would DEFINITELY recommend it because it was so well performed and it was the best stage performed thing I have ever seen, the characters, plot, set, roles, actors, setting and everything were amazing! I would see it again and again if I could but the tickets are too expensive, it was still amazing though and I would definitely recommend it to friends and family.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Grade 6
The story was very engaging and dramatic. It honestly felt like we were part of the story, and even with the actors singing everything it was still dramatic. The actors were amazing they really seemed to capture the characters personalities and ideals, especially the relationship between Don Jose and Carmen, it really felt real you couldn't even tell they were acting.
Some of the music like escamilla's theme song and the music at the end really pushed the action and set the scene. Escamillas theme was just good it was a great song that really captured the character. The reason I liked the end of the operas music is how their differences in voices were able to compliment each other and it sounded like they were fighting at the same time.
The set was amazing, from the pictures of the set in the Carmen opera book i thought they were fake. Then the giant Carmen curtain went up, I saw the coolest live set I’ve ever seen. It actually looked like what I imagined it too when hearing the story. Then the costumes they were great, especially escamillo and the dancers before him, their costumes were amazing.
The setting was a little confusing, because at the time the original story was supposed to take place i doubt they had light bulbs and billboards. But the soldiers uniforms looked like they were very old so it just confused me. Then what was even more confusing was when they were wearing leather jackets and genes, which is much more modern
I don’t actually think i would recommend this to my family or friends, I’m not saying it was bad but I just don't think any of the people I know would enjoy the opera. Because it moves very slowly and is just very long in general. You have to be very patient, and very in to opera to fully enjoy the show, which I am not. So overall I enjoyed Carmen but I would not watch it again
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th grade
The people that were singing in the opera did a very good job of projecting their voices and using facial expressions which helped me understand more of the story. Since they were singing so loudly it helped me to be more engaged in the opera. Carmen and Don Jose showed their emotions very well and you could easily see the anger, rage, and jealousy that Don Jose produced. The music was projected and sung very well and this helped the characters move on with the conflict in the story. The set was incredible and looked real as if it was actually set in the 1950’s. The costumes were very detailed and helped make the scenes look more realistic. The staging job was very well done. The set has been a bit updated since it would take place 1950’s. But the change in the set makes the opera seem a bit more real and adds to the power of the singers. I would recommend this opera for my friends and family because it was very interesting and I think they would really like it.
Bala cynwyd Middle School
6th grade
The performance was very dramatic. I was engaged the whole time. The main characters were carmen and don jose, the conflict was who got to keep carmen. The music was very good. My favorite voice was soprano because it is high pitched so it gets your attention. The sets, costumes, and staging help a lot because without them it would be very boring and not exciting or festive. The opera has been updated since the 1950’s I would recommend this to my friends and family because I know they will love it.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Grade 6
The performance was very intense and dramatic. I was into and engaged in the plot. The main characters were clearly Carmen and Don José. The conflict was who was to keep Carmen.
The music was amazing! The voices of the characters were right on point with the orchestra. When the tension with the characters grew, the orchestra got louder and stronger. My favorite kind of voice in the opera was the soprano. It’s my favorite voice because it can easily get your attention because it is very high.
Without the sets, costumes, and staging, the performance would be very drab. However, the staging, sets, and costumes were astounding! It really helped me to understand the plot.
The opera performance has been updated since the 1950’s. I think it adds more excitement.
I would recommend it to friends and family with older children, like 12 and up. My reasoning is because there might be some adult-like content. Overall. It was a jaw-dropping performance!
The performance was amazing and was expressed beautifully. I liked how you could just keep watching the opera and it would be amazing. I loved how they showed the love between Carmen and Don Jose.
I loved that it was on french and that we could hear what they were saying and that it had subtitles for us to understand.
In costumes, they had many costumes and i liked that they could change the entire set in a set time where they only had like 15 minutes.
The setting of the play was the sane and it was great.
Overall, I loved the play but sometimes, i would be confused. The actors weren't singing that loud but I still loved the opera. I would recommend this to my family and friends but i dont like the fact that it was too long.
The performance was amazing and was expressed beautifully. I liked how you could just keep watching the opera and it would be amazing. I loved how they showed the love between Carmen and Don Jose.
I loved that it was on french and that we could hear what they were saying and that it had subtitles for us to understand.
In costumes, they had many costumes and i liked that they could change the entire set in a set time where they only had like 15 minutes.
The setting of the play was the sane and it was great.
Overall, I loved the play but sometimes, i would be confused. The actors weren't singing that loud but I still loved the opera. I would recommend this to my family and friends but i dont like the fact that it was too long.
The performance was amazing and was expressed beautifully. I liked how you could just keep watching the opera and it would be amazing. I loved how they showed the love between Carmen and Don Jose.
I loved that it was on french and that we could hear what they were saying and that it had subtitles for us to understand.
In costumes, they had many costumes and i liked that they could change the entire set in a set time where they only had like 15 minutes.
The setting of the play was the sane and it was great.
Overall, I loved the play but sometimes, i would be confused. The actors weren't singing that loud but I still loved the opera. I would recommend this to my family and friends but i don't like the fact that it was too long.
The performance was amazing and was expressed beautifully. I liked how you could just keep watching the opera and it would be amazing. I loved how they showed the love between Carmen and Don Jose.
I loved that it was on french and that we could hear what they were saying and that it had subtitles for us to understand.
In costumes, they had many costumes and i liked that they could change the entire set in a set time where they only had like 15 minutes.
The setting of the play was the sane and it was great.
Overall, I loved the play but sometimes, i would be confused. The actors weren't singing that loud but I still loved the opera. I would recommend this to my family and friends but i don't like the fact that it was too long.
9th Grade
The opera was a fantastic experience. Scenery was kept alive and colors were kept bright. Everybody was moving and dancing. They sang loudly. All performers did great in performing on cue and not getting distracted or put off. They did a great job expressing they're facial expressions towards what they're saying. There wasn't a moment where everything was still or quiet. Orchestra and performers did well on staying in sync with each other. As a person that is not too big into the Opera genre, I enjoyed the story and performance of Carmen and all of it's characters. I would recommend this.
9th Grade
The opera was a fantastic experience. Scenery was kept alive and colours were kept bright. Everybody was moving and dancing. They sang loudly. All performers did great in performing on cue and not getting distracted or put off. They did a great job expressing they're facial expressions towards what they're saying. There wasn't a moment where everything was still or quiet. Orchestra and performers did well on staying in sync with each other. As a person that is not too big into the Opera genre, I enjoyed the story and performance of Carmen and all of it's characters. I would recommend this.
Northeast Highschool
Grade 9th
The performance was full of emotion and atitude. The emotion during the performance caught my attention the most because they gave the words alot of meaning by using their emotions and atitude. Yes, i was engaged in the plot. The main characters were Carmen and Don Jose. The conflict was whom should keep Carmen, Don Jose or Escamillo. Both of their love for a gypsy (Carmen) was very strong and they wanted her for themselves.
The music was awesome, it added the suspense of what is going to happen next and it made the scenes even more intense. The characters voices were connected with the orchestra and it matched the rythm of each instrument. When Carmen and Don Jose sang in a duet the tension became stronger between them and the orchestra. My favorite kind of voice is soprano because it catches you by suprise.
The sets and the costumes were the main details that made this performance POP! It was full of color and full of traditional things that you would see in Spain. The performance has been updated since the !950"s to capture the essence of that time period because of the series of events that happened during that time. Of course i will recomend this performance to my friends and family because if i loved it then i know for a fact that my family and friends would love it. I would recommend this to everyone because it was worth seeing and it was worth the time to sit down and enjoy a beautiful show/performance. #bestshowever
Philadelphia Virtual Academy
12th Grade
I LOVED this opera, it was very interesting and made you wonder what was going t happen next, Carmen was a very powerful person. I love DON JOSE he did everything to prove his love to carmen even after she done so much mean things to him. He gave up everything for her. Carmen was beautiful but very spiteful. They're singing was amazing. We had some little pg13 moments lol. but this was amazing i will recommend people to see this Opera play. Yall did an amazing job.
SDP Virtual Academy
Grade 12th
The opera performance was very tense and full of emotion. In some scenes it was like you could relate to the characters and what they were feelings. Everyone was engaged and intrigued to watching the performance. The actors were fantastic. Their acting, dancing and singing was so immaculate that if they made a mistake no one could have noticed it. Overall, the performance was very impressive and beautiful and was one of the best opera performances I've ever been to.
Chartertech High School for the Performing Arts
Grade 11
Overall, I really liked Opera Philadelphia's production of CARMEN. I feel that the storyline was thoroughly presented on stage. Each singer incorporated lots of emotion and enthusiasm into their character. I could tell that they were really into the performance, and loved what they were doing altogether (working on a professional job). As far as the storyline itself, there were certain parts that were very entertaining. For example, I really loved when Carmen danced for Don Jose in Act II. Carmen moved very effortlessly across the stage, took her time, and had lots of fluidity. I also liked how she was able to work with the castanets simultaneously, without any stumbles. When Don Jose confessed his true love for Carmen, I thought that that was really sweet and heartwarming. It showed that he actually cared for her, and the real person he was inside. On the other hand, I was really engaged in the fighting scenes. They had lots of energy, and I was on the edge of my seat. I wanted to know what would happen next.
In Act 4, I was really entertained by the toreadors dancing around Carmen and Escamillo. I liked how they were able to keep up with each other, despite moving in a circular motion. I liked their costumes as well. The colors were very vibrant and bold. As the confetti was raining down, I thought that it was the epitome of what a “happy ending” (or in Escamillo’s case, being rewarded) would look and feel like.
The music of the opera really embodied each scene. Being that I had performed CARMEN prior, I had been singing the music in my head. Some pieces that I liked were “A Dos Cuartos” and “Toreador (all versions). However, in the opera, they were performed must faster than when I had performed them prior. Overall, it was a great experience to hear them come to life on stage, loud, clear and full out.
I felt that the staging and setting really added “spice” to the opera’s performance. I really liked Lillas Pastias pub in Seville. I liked how open and social it looked. The art on the billboards caught my eye as well, along with the different colored lights. In Act 4, I loved the set design by Gary McCann. It looked very real, and I felt as though I was really in the moment. I wondered how the stage crew managed to pull that off. The sets had lots of flavor, being able to transition from light to dark.
To conclude my experience at the opera, I would definitely recommend that people see it (especially if they have performed CARMEN before). The singers are loud, and work really well in projecting their voices. They have lots of clarity when pronouncing their words. I really enjoyed Daniela Mack’s performance (she portrayed the role of Carmen). CARMEN is an opera has lots of action, emotion and entertainment, and leaves the audience giving thunderous amount of applause. CARMEN’s production is so well put together that it will want to make you give a standing ovation. If you have seen other operas, CARMEN is nothing like them, and if it is your first time, you will not regret it.
SDP Virtual Academy
Grade 11
The Production was amazing full of passion, attitude, and pain. Actor Daniela Mack voice was melodies to me her voice was raspy to me. All of the actor that took part in this production were amazing, but a few stood out more to me such as Evan LeRoy Johnson and Adrian Timpau to me took control of the whole stage when it came down to the action scenes. The Costumes to me were over the top.
Northeast Highschool
Grade Nine
Bizet's "Carmen" was a dramatic masterpiece. I was instantly hooked as the curtains began rising. The set used for "Carmen" was absolutely beautiful. It had a dull background with harsh bright colors to add importance. The actors from the adults to the children were fantastic. They all had voices that complimented the opera, and the subtitles provided made it all the more better, because then you could understand what they were saying, and could identify the strength in their voice that made it seem so very real. Another thing which caught my eye were the costumes. They were just perfect. They made you want to have a spare like that. Also the tension between Don Jose and Carmencita was just mind-blowing. You wanted to stay on the edge of your seat, waiting for what Don Jose was going to do, and how would Carmen react. I loved how the actress portrayed Carmen. She had the fierceness, and Don Jose made you feel very sympathetic towards him. It made you really soak in the situation. The lighting made you focus, it was a great way to show emotions and feelings with just light. Beyond the set was also the orchestra. They were just too good! Everything was played beautifully and the conductor was very into it. If the orchestra wasn't there then it would have felt very off. It was a great contribution, one of Bizet's greatest accomplishments. I would recommend this performance to everyone. This is a once in a life time kind of play and you would really regret it if you didn't see it. A small reminder, but make sure you aren't tired, it can really affect your view on the performance. The ending of "Carmen" was worth every penny I didn't pay. The live music and singing is something you can never forget. The actress who played Carmen, had a very powerful voice that I will never in my life forget. The plot overall was very good. Because Carmen had made Don Jose believe that she was going to love him, but Carmen is never a woman of her word. Very heartbreaking, but also enjoyable to see portrayed as an opera.
It was unbelievably good and so intense.The overall story was well played and performed. C'était magnifique. Since, I was sitting up close it was like, I was apart of the opera as well. The tone and music was great especially with the action-packed parts, like when Don Jose and Escamillio fought for Carmen. The music gave more meaning to the words spoken in the opera. The main conflict in the story, would definitely have to be men chasing everywhere after Carmen and it only left them in misery and heartbreak. What's funny was Carmen, also said that it is dangerous for her to love anyone. Don Jose ends up desperate for Carmen and only ends up getting rejected and heartbroken every single time. Selfishly, Don Jose ended up killing her believing that if he couldn't have her no one could. The setting was beautiful and so realistic and made the plot of the story even better.
Honestly, if you like tragic romance type opera's. I recommend this performance to you.
Northeast Highschool
9th grade
Their performance was wonderful and worth while.I was actually engaged in the plot because I thought operas were boring but was wrong.The main characters were Carmen and Don Jose, at first he showed no interest in her which made her want him.Later on she gets arrested and he helps her escape which leads him to go to jail.After he served his time in jail they meet up and they still love each but get into a disagreement.Her and other people go ton the mountains and Escamillo shows up and confess his love for her and he does the same all in front of Jose. Then he has to leave because his mother is dying.Then he kills her because she doesn't love him anymore and he wants her to be only his.All the performers singing was on point they didn't even get distracted by all the annoying people clapping at the wrong time.They even had subtitles which was great because I didn't understand some words.
I also really liked that it looked like Spain with the costumes,colors,and set.I really loved of they made the background/set look so realistic only in 15 minutes .Overall I would recommend this performance to my friends and specially to my family
SDP Virtual Academy
Grade 12th
The opera performance was tense and full of emotions. In some scenes its like you could relate to the characters and how they were feelings. Everyone was engaged and intrigued to watching the performance, it was so hard to not pay attention because in each scene everyone was anxious to find out what was gonna happen next. The actors were fantastic. Their acting, dancing and singing was so immaculate that if they made it a mistake no one could have even payed attention to have noticed it. Overall, the performance was impressive and beautiful and one of the best opera performances I've been to so far
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th grade
I enjoyed Carmen very much! The plot was dramatic, and I was very engaged in the performance. All the characters showed powerful emotion that made the performance even better. When the characters were singing, you could feel the emotion going on. I was also amazed by the orchestra and how they had very good timing and sounded beautiful together. The sets and costumes enhanced the plot a lot. The costumes really displayed the characters personalities, and the set accompanied the story very well. At first I wasn’t sure how the story taking place in the 1950s would go, but it ended up fitting the plot very well. I would definitely recommend this performance! The whole thing had me really engaged. The music, singing, and acting made the opera feel real.
Philadelphia Virtual Academy
Grade 11
I thought the performance was very intense and it easily pulls people in. At first the plot confused me a bit, but the more I watched the more I started understanding and I started putting everything together. The characters were amazing, and their voices were just perfection. I've never been to an opera before, but I was so excited to go because I wanted to hear their voices, I've always been fascinated by opera singers and I was not disappointed. My favorite part was whenever they'd do duets, I love how the voices blended so well together and all the harmonies were so perfect I just fell in love with their voices. Some of the costumes were exactly how i expected them to be, but other costumes were not. I feel like the opera was modernized based on some of the things I saw, but it didn't actually take away from the performance. I would recommend the opera to my friends and family because it is funny and I believe anybody would enjoy that opera. It had a lot of emotions and it was so dramatic and intense. I hope to see more operas in the future.
SDP Virtual Academy
12th Grade
This opera was a masterpiece. The performance told the story very dramatically through the singing and music. Carmen's looks stood out from everyone else but her voice also stood out. Her tone was raspy and deeper than the other females. The music brought each scene to life and created a mood for the scene. In Carmen's death scene the music made the scene more suspense and created tension. The props for each scene was decently detailed and made the setting very clear. Overall this opera was very breath taking and caught your attention.
PVA
Grade 11th
The performance of Carmen was dramatic and intense. The opera was about the conflict between Carmen and Don Jose. Don Jose showed no interest in Carmen which made her want him even more. Carmen later on uses Don Jose. Carmen just wants a lust not love. The music in opera is very important relating to the scenes as well as the other colors. I loved the background and props to this opera they were so colorful and showed the Spain like tradition. I would recommend Carmen to my family and friends because I never been to an opera and this differently is a show a to remember .
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th grade
I really enjoyed the performance, Carmen, an opera where the main themes were love and betrayal. I always thought that operas were boring and dull. But the outstanding opera proved me wrong. My favorite scene was scene 4 because there was lots of action and a great use of space. I also really loved the music in scene 3 because there was a wide variety of pitch (high and low singing) along with dynamics (fast at some points, but slow and steady at others). I loved Carmen's characteristics. She was very persistent and stubborn, and if it didn't happen her way, she would see to it that it wouldn't happen at all. What really set the mood was the set. It looked exactly like spain, and the costumes were just so amazing! I really loved this opera, and I will definitely go see more operas.
bala cynwyd middle school
6th grade
I enjoyed the performance as I thought that operas were lame and was all boring i was corrected by the amazing performance Carmen. There was a wide range of kid friendly and rated x but it was very enjoyable for all ages. he did all this stuff to make Carmen love him forever BUT oh-well as in the beginning he paid no attention to Carmen so that made Carmen want him more i loved when she got away by spitting liquids and Don Jose that was hilarious overall it was amazing.
Lena O
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th grade
The performers told the story dramatically. Carmen and all the main characters had a very strong voice. They were loud in a powerful moment and quieter in a sad moment. I was engaged in the moments from every scene because the performers were so powerful and dramatic. When the music changed the scenes changed, which made the show very fun to watch. The sets and costumes made the show very realistic. The show has been updated from the 1950’s and is now more realistic, but is still a very powerful show. I would recommend this to friends and family because it is very entertaining and an amazing experience.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th grade
Carmen is a strong independent women who can not be tied down by any man without her own consent. She gets a soldier, Don Jose, to fall for her to avoid getting thrown in prison and believes she is in love, though shortly after they reconnect she loses interest. Carmen finds a new suitor, Escamillo the bullfighter, but Don Jose still wants her and if he can’t have her no one can.
The music accompanying the actors moved the plot along by adding the necessary mood involved, it sounded beautiful too, which any age would love. The voices were amazing to and the acting that went with them. Micaela had a very innocent voice which matched character, while Carmen sang with a little more attitude, but all was really great singing.
The background was astonishing it added to the audience’s amazement as well as the props and dancing opportunities it gave. The costumes really showed the personality of each individual whether they were a cigarette girl or a kid on the street. I also liked how Don Jose’s outfit just got dirtier throughout the performance to show how he was becoming mad with love.
I think the time has definitely been updated recently, there are certain technologies like motorcycles that the composer would never have had in his time. But in no way takes from the opera, if anything it adds. It uses a common stereotype like the leather jacket and motorcycle to show Escamillo as the cool guys everyone wants to be.
Without a doubt, I would definitely recommend this for my friends and family. Carmen is filled with drama and excitement and everything you would look for in a good tv show except better because it has music. This was an amazing experience that I would definitely want to do again.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
6th grade
Plot and characters
In the performance Carmen written by Georges Bizet, The actors were amazing. The plot of the story was so engaging. They were in sync. I was very impressed by two things. One was how loud they could sing. They can fill the entire room with volume without a microphone. The second thing I was impressed with was all the actions that they had to remember while singing. This includes facial expressions, body movements etc. This made the story much more dramatic. The plot of the story Carmen goes somewhere along these lines. There is a gypsy woman named Carmen who meets Don Jose'. Don Jose' falls in love with Carmen. Don Jose' goes to the gypsy's smuggling warehouse where Carmen breaks up with him. Escamillo comes then Carmen falls in love with him. Then they go to Escamillo’s bull fight where Don Jose' kills Carmen.
Music & Voices
The music played a big part in the opera. When the music was building, so was the plot. Some parts were lively and joyful while other pieces of music were very low and built up to an action scene. You could anticipate was going to happen, and this made the story much better. As I mentioned earlier, the voices were exquisite. It must be super difficult to sing at that volume, and I wonder how long they have been training.
Staging
The stages and settings were beautiful! They had perfect size props and one, because of the lighting, made the stage look twice as large. The settings also helped the plot by setting the mood. The warehouse setting was my favorite. The warehouse set such a mood and they had fans running so that was even better. It is cool how they featured temperatures during the play.
Setting
The setting was in the 1950’s which was different but didn’t play that much of a difference. The only difference I noticed were the costumes, and the background. This made the colors jump out a lot more so this, in my opinion, made the play better. The composer Georges Bizet originally wrote this to be in the 1860’s so this is a one hundred year jump in the play.
My opinion
I thought this opera was amazing, and it was my first. Since the opera was amazing, I would like to go see many other operas. I Would also recommend this to anyone in 6th grade and older. This is because of some procreative content.
SDP Virtual Academy
12th Grade
Carmen was a very intense opera. It showcased so many different roles and different scenes. The actors brung this opera to life especially Don Jose and Carmen. When I look at the storyline you have a woman who is already not living life how she suppose to be. Carmen was different but Don Jose was not interested in her different witch made Carmen want Don Jose. Following on, when Don Jose and Carmen finally get together Carmen is playing the Lead, She is the matador. Carmen is in a bullfight with Don Jose the whole entire play she fighting her emotions for him and she fighting the fact that she loves him. In the end of this play witch makes it much more dramatic is that Don Jose kills Carmen and when this happened it made me realize the entire play showcased Carmen leading the roles and in the end they make her traditional again like she is now the bull that gets killed. Carmen was an amazing opera and it made me want to watch more operas and see whats out there in the opera world. They showcased very well how woman can play a man role or a different role and still be a woman that was a big reason on why i enjoyed this play.
Archbishop Wood High School
12th Grade
I really enjoyed seeing Carmen. I thought the performance, singing, and set were excellent. The one thing that I was expecting that I was disappointed not to see was the blood at the end when Don Jose killed Carmen. However, I did think that the rest of the performance was very well done. My favorite part was the last scene, when the Spanish marching band came out for the parade. I loved their costumes. I would recommend that a friend sees this opera, or any opera if they have not before.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Grade Six
Carmen is the first opera I saw, and my mom really liked the music. She gave me some good feedback before I even saw it. I enjoyed the performance, even though it was very long, it was enjoyable. It was done with passion, and well produced.
Grade 5
JR Masterman school
I think that Carmen was very fun to watch. Especially because it includes tunes that i have heard of before and i did not know what they came from. I think that Carmen was also interesting because of the many sets and characters that all play an important role in the story.
Carmen was my second opera, so I had high expectations. These expectations were overcome of how interpret these actors were and their great voices. One great opera singer was Escamillo because you could feel his love for Carmen. Micaela had a great voice too. This opera was really great!
Bala Cynwyd middle school
6th grade
The plot and the characters tell this story dramatically because of their motions and the times when there was more than one thing happening at a time. The singing divided the parts when a character was singing or making a message to another character telling them something. Carmen clothing expresses her lifestyle and the sets were used as a platform like when Micaela when she used the crates to hide. There was actually a pit where the orchestra played in and the composers head was seeable from the seats and it was kinda distracting and Im confused why they have cameras the the composer. I would recommend it to my family but not all of them because of some scenes that might not be comfortable to them But I would recommend it.
Central High School
12th Grade
I am an opera lover, and have seen quite a few operas, but I loved Carmen. It exceeded my expectations. Firstly, the set and curtains caught my attention. The curtain spelling Carmen on a graffiti-ed and heavily postered background both set an expectation for the way that the set would look and gave the opera context before it even started. The way the set also gave the stage depth in different ways was great. For example, the way the warehouse tapered off on stage right gave the right side more depth and caused the warehouse to appear larger than it actually was, despite only taking up half of the stage. During the last scene, the two sets of scaffolding(?) also gave the stage a deeper look.
Another thing that I noticed was the staging of the opera. The way that the actors and actresses used the entirety of the stage to explore the content of the story. The fact that the stage was never completely motionless when people were on the stage was also interesting to me. The others on stage made the scenes more realistic, as people won't be sitting there listening to everything you have to say, especially if it does not affect them.
Finally, the singing and music. The pit and the singers had great chemistry on the stage. They complemented and worked with each other very well. The singers also embodied and sang their characters very well. I was able to feel a range of emotions and have a range of opinions toward the characters. Overall, I enjoyed this opera, and I know that I will always remember this experience that I had
Central High School
Grade 9
Carmen was one of the best operas I have seen, that I can say. The music was absolutely beautiful,the actors and actresses put on an amazing performance, and the set was astonishing. The music was intense and on-point. It kept me on the edge of my seat and really engaged me into the opera. The actors and actresses, as well as everyone else that helped, worked so hard to make this opera a success and they succeeded. They truly did an amazing job. The singing was beautiful and I couldn't get enough of it. Daniela Mack, as Carmen, had such a strong and empowering voice, as well as all of the other actors and actresses. It still amazes me that no microphones are needed. I loved the plot; it was amazingly written and well thought out and the actors and actresses performed it so well. The set, I couldn't get enough of it. The stage crew modernized the set and had amazing, sturdy props. There were actual drinks and I couldn't tell if the fruit was real or not, as well as the motorbikes that actually moved and didn't just sit on the stage collecting dust. Overall, it was an amazing opera. I would absolutely recommend attending this opera and seeing the beauty of it for yourself as words just cannot capture its beauty.
Bala Cynwyd middle school
I thought Camren was a very good opera! It was very good singing and visual arts. The music showed exactly what is showed, its showed the anger, sadness, proudness. It was very extraordinary I loved the characters and I liked how everyone joined together and sang together. In overall I really liked this performance and would like to see it again.
Central High School
9th Grade
Carmen is such an amazing opera and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the opera or just music in general. As a violinist, being able to see and hear the pit orchestra was so intriguing. The music definitely made the whole opera more interesting and matched exactly to what was happening on stage.
The plot was very interesting and I enjoy watching all of the sudden changes. It was fun trying to figure out what was going from their movements and from the translations.
The actors and actresses did an amazing job matching their voices to their character. For example, the actress that played Carmen did an amazing job embodying her character with a bold and powerful voice. They all had amazing voices that were paired with great acting. I thought it was especially impressive how the actors and actresses were able to show me what was going on, even when I wasn't looking at the translation.
Overall, the opera was so good and I would recommend it to everyone looking to see a wonderful performance.
Central High School
Grade 9
The opera was incredible. The music added intensity and color in its own way. The bright costumes were beautiful and the powerful voices of the singers were appalling. The props were extraordinarily life-like. The movement of the performers were full of fluid grace and emotion. The story was tragically beautiful and surely struck the hearts of many people. I loved the choreography and the dramatic plot twists in each act. I would most definitely recommend this opera for others for a mind-blowing experience full of tragic, heart-felt romance and action.
Northeast High School
11th Grade
The opera Carmen was a terrific performance. Opera Philadelphia did a marvelous job at selecting the correct people to sing and perform each vocal part and also to play the role of each character. Each individual perfectly played the part and the plot was wonderfully intriguing. With each act came more interesting and suspenseful events that pulled the viewer in and caused the viewer to infer what will happen and cause them to want to know what happens next. I honestly love this opera and Opera Philadelphia executed each part of this Opera terrifically. I watched Don Giovanni at The Academy of Music but Carmen, in my opinion, was very much well sung and played and i enjoyed it a lot more.
The costume and set design was extraordinarily perfect and I believe that the sets were so beautiful and looked very beautiful. I think that the set design and costumed that were used very much enhanced and made the plot even more intriguing because they made the viewer feel as though we were in the actual setting and made the viewer want to see the following events after each act.
I would surely recommend this opera to everyone i know this is an excellent piece of art that i would love for other people to see as well. I truly love this opera and would like to see it again. I would also recommend Opera Philadelphia as a whole because it is a very prestigious company that has well selected operas and also many performers with tremendous talent.
Central Highschool
11th Grade
Carmen is the third opera I've seen on trips to Opera Philadelphia and it has been the one I've enjoyed the most. Compared to The Marriage of Figaro and The Elixir of Love it is strong in story, music, acting and the set. Areas in which I think the other two Operas had some weakness, mostly the story. The set of Carmen is very interesting to me, it takes different angles and perspectives to simple and mundane things like a billboard, making it unique. The score by Georges Bizet was the most outstanding part of the performance. There were just so many outstanding and iconic moments in the score. The story was also the best out of the other opera I've seen and the acting was top notch as per usual.
Central High School
11th
Carmen was the best opera I have seen so far. I could relate to Carmen a lot since she is strong and independent despite having so many men surrounding her. There was a lot of emotion in the opera. I found that the costumes were very gorgeous and flamboyant. I also really liked the set, especially the warehouse. The warehouse was made so that it seemed very long, so it got smaller towards the back. It was a bit long, but it was worth the time because the plot was great! I also found it impressive that the performers could project their voices without a microphone.
Central High School
11th Grade
The opera was pretty dope. The music for the opera is legendary and was what made the opera successful. Living up to the music of Carmen was a huge task that the actors and the orchestra were able to achieve. Some of my gripes with the opera were the costume design lacking and the conductor's reflection in the windows during the Act 3. Other than these problems, the rest of the opera were able to meet my expectations.
Central High School
11th grade
The Carmen opera was very interesting. I wish Carmen's wardrobe was better and accommodated with her character more. Carmen is after all a gypsy, so an outfit that reflected her personality would have been better. Overall the opera was great and I really enjoyed the scenery and detail it displayed. The vocalist were extraordinary and projected their voices beautifully.
Central High School
11th grade
Opera Philadelphia put together a good production of Carmen, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in the arts. I adore the music preformed by the pit orchestra, and even though the actors and opera singers did an amazing job, it's the orchestra that really lingered in my thoughts. Hearing all the now famous tunes and melodies preformed to the original opera is almost surreal, and I wouldn't mind doing it again. Overall, I give the performance a 9/10, because for some portions, it was a bit redundant, and the characters would just stand around on stage. Continuous movement would have bumped my rating up to a 10/10.
Grade 11
Central High School
Carmen was a wonderful production. It was the third opera I have ever seen with my Italian class (Give Ms. Walker better seats next time). After seeing the various different sets and backgrounds, different music and different costumes of the other two operas I have seen, I believe that Carmen definitely had the most recognizable and iconic music. The sets were also spectacular with the lights, props and linear perspective, it all felt very immersive. The costumes were very vibrant and fun and fit the characters very well. Also the frequent intermissions were necessary and helped to keep things refreshing.
Central High School
11th grade
The opera was very good. I was engaged throughout opera. The songs were very powerful and engaging. My favorite song was the one sung by Carmen, "Habanera." The melody was very catchy and Mack, the singer who played Carmen, had a very strong and beautiful voice. The actors' acting skills were also superb. It was easy to identify the mood of the scene. The instrumentals were very professional and they provided a great complement to the individual scenes and had greatly enhanced the overall quality of the opera. The opera would have been more enjoyable if the audience had not clapped at inappropriate times. In conclusion, Carmen was a beautiful opera and very nice performed. I would watch it in again in the future if I get a chance.
Central High School
11th
I have seen the Elixir of Love and the Marriage of Figaro ; Carmen compared to these fantastic works of art, I felt as though Carmen lacked a few elements. The background and clothing of the opera were great, as it had a modern feel to it. There were uses of motorcycles and displays of firearms The soldiers were wearing green militant costumes and Escamillo wearing a leather jacket looked like a greaser and a "bad boy." Additionally, I felt that Carmen's costume was lackluster and the climax to her death took too long. The plot in the opera was blurry and it was hard to follow. Overall, most aspects of the opera were spectacular, but I felt as though the important ones were missed.
11th
Central High School
Carmen was the first French opera I've ever witnessed. Before this, I've seen two Italian operas, The Marriage of Figaro and L'eliser d'amore. Compared to those two operas, the characters seemed to be less complex, except for Carmen, whose emotions seemed to always waiver. I think that it is a great opera to see for the first time. However, it is not as interesting as I thought it would be. The plot seemed very plain. In contrast, the amazing dancing, colorful costumes, and complex set gave life to the opera. What I enjoyed the most was the pit and their music performance. I enjoyed the fact that the tempo was ever changing, adding intensity or serenity in each scene. In all, watching this opera was a great experience, but could have been better.
Central High School
11th
Carmen was the first Opera that I attended. It exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed the modern feel of the opera and the production in general. The costumes and the sets were all spectacular. My favorite part of the entire opera was the beautiful dancers that added a touch of elegance to the entire program.
Central High School
11th grade
This production of Carmen was a very engaging and beautiful. The acting was phenomenal and the actor's voices were powerful and captured the audience's attention with ease. The one aspect that truly impressed me was the set design. All the sets were beautifully done, and the drastic changes were impressive in such short amounts of time. Overall the opera was very enjoyable and entertaining.
Devonte Bollers
Central HIgh School
11th grade
Grade 11
Central High School
Carmen was a wonderful production. It was the third opera I have seen with my Italian Class and the first on in French (PS Give Ms. Walker better seats next time!). Of all of the operas I have seen I have to say Carmen had the best sets, music, and costumes. The sets were very well done with their colors, lights, and linear perspective, which caused it to be much more immersive. The music was very iconic and recognizable, definitely my favorite part. The costumes fit the characters very well and everything just seemed right. Overall the opera was spectacular and the frequent intermissions caused the play to not seemed as long like previous operas I've seen.
9th Grade
The performance of Carmen that the Opera of Philadelphia put on was honestly phenomenal in my opinion. The sets that the crew had worked on really helped bring the production to life, allowing the audience to travel decades back and really engage in the opera. The sets and backdrops of the opera had left me lost for words and impressed with the designers' sense of creativity and use of perspective in order to create various optical illusions. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the costumes of the actors, specifically the toreadors, in their bright colors and traditional Hispanic garments. The dancing that they showed also allowed the play to upkeep and be true to its Hispanic roots. Overall, I very much enjoyed the production of Carmen and I applaud the the Opera of Philadelphia and the actors as well as everyone behind the scenes.
11th grade
Central high school
This opera, the third of which, I have seen was O.K. but not as grand or as dramatic as the Marriage of Figaro. The set design itself was extremely elaborate and realistic; and I think that the set design was my favorite out of the whole opera. But I think I would have preferred to see the classical version of Carmen more then this 1950's version. Plus at some points I found my self lost or bored throughout the performance. The scenes were really jumpy and while I like the set design artistically, I did not understand some of the settings. For example the first scene where the women are locked behind bars the scene felt more like prison then a factory like the opera was suppose to depict, but maybe there was some underlying message I didn't understand. Over all the opera was an experience, but it was slightly diminished with the constantly talking group above us and the over unnecessary applauses every five seconds. Next Year I hope to be wowed and amazed by what you decide to show. Until then Ciao!
Northeast High school
10th grade
Carmen is one many operas I have seen. This is by far in my top list of Operas that I enjoyed. The performance was of full emotion and attitude, I was engaged in the plot throughout the acts. Not only was the plot good,but the music was on point throughout the opera. I really enjoyed the music the orchestra was playing. It described every action the characters were doing, it was very easy to understand what they were trying to do because of the music. Throughout the opera, all the characters knew what their part was and what to do. Everyone was paying attention and was doing excellent. The main character Carmen was doing an excellent job with her part, she knew how to express her feelings so that the audience can understand. Overall, I would highly recommend the performance to family and friends.
NEHS
10
Carmen was the first musical I've seen. It wasn't that special, tragic love stories are cliches and this play was one. The plot was predictable but the actors did a good job. The stage crew and orchestra were great. I would rate it 5/12.
Northeast High School
11th Grade
I enjoyed the opera. I liked how the characters projected their voices to the audience. The plot had many twists and turns, and that made me more interested, I felt like I was watching a love movie that had a sad ending. The characters were great, the music was great, and the story was great. I would recommend this performance to my friends and family because I loved this opera very much!
Northeast High School
Grade 10
Overall, I really enjoyed the Carmen opera and I thought that it was presented very well and dramatically. I thought that the performance told the story very dramatically and it made me very engaged in the plot. Carmen is a gypsy girl who is very beautiful and has trouble finding her true love. At first, she loved a soldier whose name was Don Jose. She ended up leaving him because of the fact that he was involved in the military so much that they barely even got to hang out much. When Carmen leaves him, Don Jose is very upset and he wants her back so bad. He tells her that he would do anything for her, but she does not want him anymore. She moves on to another man by the name of Escamillo, who is a famous bull fighter and is very rich. He is praised by those in the town because of his high status and his bull fighting skills. While Don Jose was helping the gypsies, he ironically meets Escamillo and they begin to fight. Carmen and the other gypsies come back right on time and end the fight. Learning that Carmen has moved on to another man, Don Jose demands Carmen to come back to her and so that they can move somewhere far away and live good. Carmen declines his offer and wants to stay with Escamillo. Her decision to stay leads Don Jose to get very angry and frustrated and he begins to physically harrass her to move with him. After many refusals of his offer, he then realizes that she does not want to go with him and that she does not love him anymore, he begins to beat her. Don Jose believes that if he cannot get Carmen, then no one can have her. Don Jose kills Carmen, but in the back, Mikaela had seen the murder of Carmen by the man she loved. Don Jose yells that they can arrest him and that he does not care.
The music carried the characters and the action forward because the feelings and thoughts of the characters would expressed throughout their singing and we could experience their thoughts. Also, the way they were singing was very interesting because it was how I had seen an opera to be, and it was cool to experience it in person. I liked Escamilo's individual song because I liked the way that he had sung it and the way he had acted as well.
The sets, costumes, and staging enhanced the plot because it really made it realistic and a more better experience as an audience. It actually felt like we were there because of the sets and the type of clothing they were wearing. It also made the plot very dramatic and interested which made me very involved in it as well.
The time and location where the opera takes place is not the same as what the composer had imagined it because it had never been to be taken place in the times of bull fights back then. It adds power to the performance because it makes the performance be very dramatic and interesting knowing that some characters such as Escamillo to be popular in the town for being a famous bull fighter.
I would recommend this performance to my family and friends because I thought that it was very well done and that it was very enjoyable for people of many ages. Also, it helps people learn about things that had happened back in that time period as well as problems in romance and how it can end as well.
Northeast High School
11th grade
to be honest "Carmen" is one of the few operas that caught my attention. you would think that the story would end with carmen and jose falling in love and living happily ever and that is it. But it ended with a dark ending, not saying its bad but its new to me. The music was well matched with the theme of the opera and the singing was on point. There were about 5 intermission in total, and each time the background and cloth changed. The background looked really amazing to the point were it felt real. At the end it all comes down to this I would definitely recommend this to anyone.
Central High School
12th Grade
I really enjoyed Carmen,it was very well planned. The whole play was very interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the ending and how well the death scene was portrayed it was beautifully acted and did not seem to be over or under acted. The costumes were beautiful and vibrant just like the opera. The show might be long but it is one hundred percent worth your time. I would see it again if I had the chance double thumbs up.
Central High School
12th grade
Carmen was an amazing opera. The music was great, I say with my friend named Carmen, and who didn't go over the book before she got there, so hearing the music she would look over at me shocked saying, "oh my God this is where this song comes from". The set and costumes were so amazing with Carmen wearing such a vibrant red forcing us to focus on her even if we didn't want to. It almost made me feel as though the audience was entranced by her spell like Don Jose. The curtain at the beginning which displayed the name Carmen and the first set with the woman smoking was chaotic with color. which gave off the chaotic and mixed up feelings that were portrayed throughout the Opera.
Every word sung had so much passion and emotion behind them. Not only was there the passion in the words but the movements were also full of passion and we could see the love between to characters as it built up, and then as it diminished. This was by far one of my favorite Operas that I have seen while at Central.
Central High
12th Grade
This is my second time viewing the opera of Carmen the first time was in elementary school with my school orchestra. I saw it back in sixth grade and now I am in twelfth. With that being said it is interesting to view the opera now because I can understand what it represents and the importance of this tragic story involving a strong female lead that likes to live freely and do as she pleases which is very relevant to our society today. The show was well done and the performers all put on a great performance. Also the set was really nice and well done which only helped to depict the time period and setting of the play. I enjoy watching operas and I have watched one every year since my freshman year because they are so interesting and sort of a hidden gem to most kids my age. The play had really funny scenes and dramatic ones as well, I wont get into spoilers but that being said the play was lighthearted when needed and serious in other parts as well. The balance between was solid and understandable. Overall the opera was great and I actually enjoyed it more the second time watching and it is obvious as to why it is regarded as one of the classics in terms of operas. Lastly, the music is something else everyone is familiar with the Habanera music which is found in so many cartoons, tv shows, and movies.
Central High School
12th Grade
Carmen was the fourth opera I have seen with Opera of Philadelphia, and one of my favorites. Not only was the opera well produced, as they always have been, but the costumes, set, and performers were fabulous. From the moment I stepped into the theater and saw the bright and colorful curtain I knew this opera would be incredibly exciting, and I was not wrong. The music was exciting and engaging, and it matched the visuals of this production. Shifting the setting of Carmen from Spain to a Central America-eque setting was fabulous. The change allowed for beautiful sets and costumes, different from what one would have originally seen the opera performed with, without losing some of the important cultural elements from Spain. Finally, it was extremely exciting to see the songs I knew from other parts of my life (such as commercials and movies) be put to life in the context of Carmen. The ability to connect previous experiences with this music to my experience at Carmen was super fun. Ultimately, I really enjoyed my experience seeing Carmen with Opera of Philadelphia!
The Carmen experience was absolutely worth my time. One of the things that I most enjoyed was how their voices projected so much emotion and thought, it was truly fantastic. The characters in the show were so engaged and made the whole scene so lively. Along with the truly beautiful voices of the actors and their acts, it made everything look so bright and vivid. The plot got me so engaged and made me feel so much sympathy for Carmen during her internal battles, and how deceiving she was really changed my perspective on the whole story. The staging was absolutely impeccable, it enhanced the experience the plot so much and made me aware of the setting and time. The setting added lots of power to the piece, I believe that the composer was very detailed in their thought and brought it to life. I would recommend the play to anybody who would like to experience real entertainment, a piece such as Carmen is so emotional and engaging, definitely worth the time of viewers of all ages.
NEHS
11
carmen was my first opera. it was an excellent performance.i will love to see this opera once again and in different languages. this opera was very unique , very engaging. carmen is a successful opera , i think that there is no other opera like this one. every single character in this performance was extremely spectacular. lets not forget about the orchestra they were extremely great and without them this performance couldnt be number one . this performance was a hard working one . the sets were beautiful and how they had everything under control was perfect. every character had their own unique costume and it fitted them well , and how every act that past by they had different costumes ,it was just great . i think this opera was updated , this change adds power to the piece. the characters worked very hard , they worked very hard for a spectacular performance . i would totally recommend this opera to family and friends . i will even go with them to just watch it again. i believe that if they watch this opera they will be engaged as well , and they will really love it . thank you to all performers , for makij=ng my first opera a success and an amazing experience.
Central High School
12th Grade
There was a lot to take from the once in a lifetime experience of this production of Carmen. Having had the opportunity of watching several productions at the Academy of Music through this program, it is ALWAYS refreshing and exciting no matter which opera hits the stage. What I seem to find the most enjoyment in is taking time to notice the little things that may not be on the minds of many when they watch an opera! Like the sets of each act, how the costumes of the characters progress throughout the opera, how the colors play a huge role for the characters on stage, and even the lighting from before each act (I pointed out to a friend how the mood of the Act could have possibly been predicted by the lighting on the "CARMEN" before each act. Acts 1 and 4 had red before the Act started while Acts 2 and 3 shined a blue light). Carmen had red on for each of the four Acts she played, Don Jose's appearance progressively got less attractive, more dirty and ridged looking (messy/longer hair), portraying how he's become more and more like a gypsy as well as showing his trip to insanity as his love for Carmen had been denied. The sets being revamped to this setting of the lifestyle of the 50s in Spain gave the opera another aesthetically pleasing view and taste when incorporating the exotic colors. Aside from these ingenious artistic attributes, the cast could not have done a better job delivering Bizet's vision when he sat down and created Carmen. From the music from the pit, to the harmonious voices delivered perfectly, there was no better feeling you could have received while witnessing it all happen in front of you.
Central High School
10th Grade
This was an amazing show. The sets made the story come alive and looked believable. What makes a good set piece is that you don't realize that it's not real, and the set pieces in Carmen accomplished this. All of the performers were very strong, Carmen especially. You could hear the complete control she had over her voice, and she made the story come alive. The costumes were fairly good, although at times it was hard to differentiate between characters, and more distinct costumes could've assisted that. The plot itself was at times hard to connect with, but the vocalists made it come alive and be more believable. I would recommend this opera to any lover of opera, but not to children, as it was quite lengthy (as operas are). Thank you for putting on such a wonderful show!
10th Grade
Central High School
This was a spectacular show. The sets were believable, and I forgot that they were just set pieces and it wasn't real. All the vocalists were strong, especially Carmen. You could hear the control she had over her voice, through the whole show. The costumes were fairly good, however at times it was difficult to differentiate between characters, and more distinct costumes could've assisted with that. The plot was at times hard to follow or hard to believe, but the performers brought it to life and made it more believable. Overall, it was a fantastic show. I would recommend it to any lovers of opera (although not to children, as it was quite lengthy). Thank you all for the opportunity to see such a wonderful show!
Northeast High School
Grade 9
Watching Carmen as it being my first ever Opera that I have ever watched was a memory that I could never forget. It was gave the individual as well as the rest of the audience a mix of emotions as the plot involved action,romance,thriller, and so much more. It was obviously had a different perspective as to the typical ending of a usual romance is that they fall in love and end up together, but watching Carmen you see that its the complete opposite of what your typical love story would be which made me want to keep on watching. The staff of the show worked very hard and I can assure this because they made sure there weren't any casualties or technical difficulties along with making sure that the subtitle screen was fully functioning. The cast of the show stayed true to the story lines of Carmen and as well as the costumes. I personally wish that I didn't know the full story beforehand as we did learn it french class and had one of the cast members tell us about the story so that I could experience it not knowing what would happen next, But overall I loved Carmen and will never forget the experience
Northeast High School
Grade 9
Watching Carmen as it being my first ever Opera that I have ever watched was a memory that I could never forget. It was gave the individual as well as the rest of the audience a mix of emotions as the plot involved action,romance,thriller, and so much more. It was obviously had a different perspective as to the typical ending of a usual romance is that they fall in love and end up together, but watching Carmen you see that its the complete opposite of what your typical love story would be which made me want to keep on watching. The staff of the show worked very hard and I can assure this because they made sure there weren't any casualties or technical difficulties along with making sure that the subtitle screen was fully functioning. The cast of the show stayed true to the story lines of Carmen and as well as the costumes. I personally wish that I didn't know the full story beforehand as we did learn it french class and had one of the cast members tell us about the story so that I could experience it not knowing what would happen next, But overall I loved Carmen and will never forget the experience
Northeast High School
Grade 9
Watching Carmen as it being my first ever Opera that I have ever watched was a memory that I could never forget. It was gave the individual as well as the rest of the audience a mix of emotions as the plot involved action,romance,thriller, and so much more. It was obviously had a different perspective as to the typical ending of a usual romance is that they fall in love and end up together, but watching Carmen you see that its the complete opposite of what your typical love story would be which made me want to keep on watching. The staff of the show worked very hard and I can assure this because they made sure there weren't any casualties or technical difficulties along with making sure that the subtitle screen was fully functioning. The cast of the show stayed true to the story lines of Carmen and as well as the costumes. I personally wish that I didn't know the full story beforehand as we did learn it french class and had one of the cast members tell us about the story so that I could experience it not knowing what would happen next, But overall I loved Carmen and will never forget the experience
Central High School
10th Grade
Carmen was the second opera I've seen (the other being 'The Marriage of Figaro'), and I must say, Carmen blew that out of the water. It was very well done! The sets had me in awe and kept me wondering about how they would go about making them (as I am apart of stage crew at my school). The costumes were amazing, I especially loved Carmen's red dress. I loved every last scene, as each one was so complex yet so simple at the same time. The actors all did outstanding jobs, I was so blown away by how incredible their voices were and how well they were able to project! All of the scenes were very captivating and I appreciated the breaks in between each Act. This made the opera very easy to sit through as it gave an opportunity to stretch every so often. I also would like to give the younger actors/singers a shout out because they did amazing as well.
The plot was very easy to follow and extremely interesting at the same time. I really liked how, if I had to look at the subtitles to follow I wasn't then lost, trying to watch the actors on stage and watch the subtitles at the same time.
Overall, Carmen was outstanding! I could not believe how good it was, and I would like to bring my family so they can see how good it is, as well. Fabulous job guys!
Northeast High School
Grade 9
Watching Carmen as it being my first ever Opera that I have ever watched was a memory that I could never forget. It was gave the individual as well as the rest of the audience a mix of emotions as the plot involved action,romance,thriller, and so much more. It was obviously had a different perspective as to the typical ending of a usual romance is that they fall in love and end up together, but watching Carmen you see that its the complete opposite of what your typical love story would be which made me want to keep on watching. The staff of the show worked very hard and I can assure this because they made sure there weren't any casualties or technical difficulties along with making sure that the subtitle screen was fully functioning. The cast of the show stayed true to the story lines of Carmen and as well as the costumes. I personally wish that I didn't know the full story beforehand as we did learn it french class and had one of the cast members tell us about the story so that I could experience it not knowing what would happen next, But overall I loved Carmen and will never forget the experience
Central High School
10th Grade
Carmen was the second opera I've seen (the other being 'The Marriage of Figaro'), and I must say, Carmen blew that out of the water. It was very well done! The sets had me in awe and kept me wondering about how they would go about making them (as I am apart of stage crew at my school). The costumes were amazing, I especially loved Carmen's red dress. I loved every last scene, as each one was so complex yet so simple at the same time. The actors all did outstanding jobs, I was so blown away by how incredible their voices were and how well they were able to project! All of the scenes were very captivating and I appreciated the breaks in between each Act. This made the opera very easy to sit through as it gave an opportunity to stretch every so often. I also would like to give the younger actors/singers a shout out because they did amazing as well.
The plot was very easy to follow and extremely interesting at the same time. I really liked how, if I had to look at the subtitles to follow I wasn't then lost, trying to watch the actors on stage and watch the subtitles at the same time.
Overall, Carmen was outstanding! I could not believe how good it was, and I would like to bring my family so they can see how good it is, as well. Fabulous job guys!
Central High School
10th Grade
Carmen was the second opera that I've seen through this program, and it absolutely blew me away. Between the cast, costumes, sets, and the music itself, the performance was stunning. Sets and costumes placed the show in the 1950's, conveying how timeless and universal the story is. Carmen commands everybody in the theater, from the actor next to her to the audience member in the back row of the amphitheater. One of the most remarkable things to me was the enthusiasm of the audience during every round of applause, especially in the very end. Many people my age have the idea that opera is boring, or outdated, or that they won't understand it. Carmen has proven this to be false. Teenagers went wild for the story and the actors, connecting with themes of intense love, difficult decisions, and dramatic betrayal. Although supertitles were provided, the audience could have understood the story without them. Opera Philadelphia's Carmen was a fresh, awakening take on opera's role in the arts today.
I also enjoyed the music and the voices of every single performer. The music could be very suspenseful and then in a instant it would switch to soft, sweet music that you would hear in a nursery. The performers voices were also truly amazing! Their voices filled the room and they weren't even using microphones which was just incredible.
The sets, staging, and costumes were also just amazing! In each set there was so intricate detail put into everything! And please don't get my started with the costumes, from Carmen's beautiful red dress in the last scene to the rags the cigarette girls were wearing each costume was just stunning!
Carmen was only the second opera that I have ever seen but it certainly was the best and I truly hope it isn't the last. This is an experience that I never want to forget and thank you for this amazing opportunity.
Asma Ripa
Northeast High school
Grade 11
Carmen was not the first opera that I've seen, but it was definitely the best. The plot was captivating, to say the least, with a beautiful flow that had everyone at the edge of their seats! The characters portrayed their personalities exquisitely, especially Carmen & her fiery free spirit, and Don Jose & his bold, aloof turned obsessiveness. The conflict between them was very intense, especially how Don Jose thought that if he could not have her, no one could. I can only infer that when Don Jose sat on the floor for the last few seconds, he was contemplating about the aftermath of this situation and how this will only result in him spiraling downwards towards his later prophesied demise (thanks to Carmen) The music was very pleasing to listen to and it added to the characters going about in the opera, enhancing their actions and the way they moved. The light music perfectly described the everyday life while the dark music made the more serious scenes much more… serious. I mostly like how Carmen sounded when she mocked the soldiers. Tralalala! The sets were grand, the costumes were amazing, and the staging was agreeable. Everything about it enhanced the plot since it shows us exactly where the characters are without them having to “tell” us. It blows my mind that it takes only 15 minutes for the stage crew to change the setting during each of the intermissions. Without a doubt, the settings were just as the composer imagined in the libretto. However, in the live opera, it was more beautiful than I had anticipated, keeping the old timeliness but with a freshness about its presence. I would definitely recommend this opera to my peers and family members for they should have a taste of this gorgeous opera since most of them have not seen an opera before. I would want their first time to be this particular opera owing to the fact that they would be as engaged as I was to it.
Northeast High school
Grade 11
Carmen was not the first opera that I've seen, but it was definitely the best. The plot was captivating, to say the least, with a beautiful flow that had everyone at the edge of their seats! The characters portrayed their personalities exquisitely, especially Carmen & her fiery free-spiritedness, and Don Jose & his bold, aloof turned obsessiveness. The conflict between them was very intense, especially how Don Jose thought that if he could not have her, no one could. I can only infer that when Don Jose sat on the floor for the last few seconds, he was contemplating about the aftermath of this situation and how this will only result in him spiraling downwards towards his later prophesied demise (thanks to Carmen)
The music was very pleasing to listen to and it added to the characters going about in the opera, enhancing their actions and the way they moved. The light music perfectly described the everyday life while the dark music made the more serious scenes much more… serious. I mostly like how Carmen sounded when she mocked the soldiers. Tralala!
The sets were grand, the costumes were amazing, and the staging was agreeable. Everything about it enhanced the plot since it shows us exactly where the characters are without them having to “tell” us.
It blows my mind that it takes only 15 minutes for the stage crew to change the setting during each of the intermissions. Without a doubt, the settings were just as the composer imagined in the libretto. However, in the live opera, it was more beautiful than I had anticipated, keeping the old timeliness but with a freshness about its presence.
I would definitely recommend this opera to my peers and family members for they should have a taste of this gorgeous opera since most of them have not seen an opera before. I would want their first time to be this particular opera owing to the fact that they would be as engaged as I was to it.
James Dobson
Grade 6
I thought it was a good experience. I also loved how the performers got there voice so high. I also liked how the orchestra was underneath them so you can see what and who is playing. Overall it was a really fun to go to and see.
James Dobson School
Grade 6
I liked this opera a lot. The 1st and 2nd acts were better than the 3rd and 4th in my opinion.The 3rd and 4th acts were a little boring, especially with the 5 minute break in the middle.I really liked it when they showed escamillo and the other toreadors in the 4th act. The entire performance I could not see some off the stuff happening on theleft side of the stage, so please keep it more centered for the viewers.
James Dobson School Grade:6
I do not want to go back to see it, but for my first opera I think it was good. I do consider other people seeing this opera, but I don't at the same time. I would maybe go to a different opera if it is shorter. My favorite part of the Carmen opera was when they were doing the death scene of Carmen. Over all I think the opera was good though because it had some scenes that were exciting and some scenes that I just didn't understand as much.
James Dobson School
Grade 6
My thoughts on the opera were okay. All of the people were very talented and there voices were very good. Me personally I wouldn't go to another opera but it was a great opertunity for me but i think other people would enjoy it and have a better time.
james dobson school
6th grade
i did not like the opera at all several parts were dumb like when they were just staking boxes for like 10 minutes i fell it could have been better the singers sang to long it made my ears bleed and next time dont have people waiting to go on stage were you could see them and the fight sence they were pointing knifes to long and singing like rap it up, we also hade bad seats and thank you anyway
James Dobson School
Grade 6
After seeing The opera Carmen I fell in love with the cinema. If i had a chance to see Carmen I would. I did not want to go at first but when i saw the opera I said to myself what was I thinking not wanting to come? Although Carmen was my first opera It will always be my favorite. With all the singing backstabbing and drama put into this opera I'm so glad i got to see it for free but i would pay anything to get to see Carmen again. My favorite part is when Don Jose and Escamliio had a knife fight in the middle.
James Dobson School
6th Grade
I did not really like the oprea that much cause it was not something i would go to in my free time,and we also had really bad seats you could not even see the oprea so you did not know what was going on. They had really long waiting for the singers to come on the stage. I will not go to a opera agian it was way to long to sit there for 4 hours and 20 min sorry not sorry for this bad report
Thank You!!!!!!!!
James Dobson School
Grade 6
This opera was interesting.Because it had a lot of dramatic parts it showed how don Jose was in love with Carmen and how Carmen was arrested for fighting that woman and also how don Jose loved Carmen so much he did not want any body else to have her so he killed her.
Northeast High School
12th Grade
The performance was fantastic. It was my first time at an opera and I had thought it would be boring. However, the extravagant acting and dancing kept the story alive for most of the four acts. There was never a dull moment as everything was moving and the stage was used for the majority of the time. The use of props, costumes and such as well as the effort put in by the actors were really good. There were some sexual scenes which I did not think was appropriate for some of the audience as it had children from the younger grades. However, kudos to the team for putting on a great show!
Thanks!
Northeast High School
Grade 12
The showing of the French Opera Carmen was very enjoyable. It was my first experience at an opera and I would gladly go back and see another showing of a another show. The only thing I would recommend is to announce to the audience that the translated dialogue is above the stage because I spent the first half of act one not knowing what was occurring. The performers were very talented and comfortable on stage, especially considering this was their first show with a live audience.
Northeast High School
Grade 12
The showing of the French Opera Carmen was very enjoyable. It was my first experience at an opera and I would gladly go back and see another showing of a another show. The only thing I would recommend is to announce to the audience that the translated dialogue is above the stage because I spent the first half of act one not knowing what was occurring. The performers were very talented and comfortable on stage, especially considering this was their first show with a live audience.
10th grade
Northeast Highschool
The Opera “Carmen” does a great job at telling the story of a women who has multiple people interested in her. The performance given by the opera singers tells the story dramatically and kept me engaged throughout the whole performance. The performance put on by the actors and opera singers did a great job at carrying the conflict in the Opera as well. The music also carried the characters and actions forward. It added to moments when dramatic or romantic music was needed, as well as empthazied the emotions of the characters. Particular voices were Carmen’s, Don José, and Escamillo’s voices. As they were the ones involved with the main conflict. The setting was updated to appeal to modern audiences and it added to the power of the piece. If it was set in the original time period, I’m sure most of us wouldn’t want to go see it. I would strongly recommend this preformance to friends of my age and family.
Northeast Highschool
10th
This past Wednesday I got the pleasure of seeing the Carmen opera. I can say all my expectations were fulfilled. The opera was extraordinary and it wasn’t like any I’d seen before.
I was completely into the whole opera. I’d never been so anxious seeing anything like that. The singing was so good and don’t even get me started on the dancing. Everyone was in tune and new exactly what to do when. The sets were so real. They looked like an actual place as if I was there.
The actress who played Carmen was amazing. She was beautiful as were all the other actresses. I was at the edge of my seat waiting for the next event to occur to once again have me waiting for more.
The plot was so thoughtout and perfected. They really hired the perfect people to act out everything with so much ease. Over all I was very pleased with the opera and will be 100% checking out another one to see very soon. I’m so glad my school had the chance to take some students. I hope others get to expierence the same things.
Northeast High School
10th Grade
Carmen for my first time going to an opera this play left me mind blown cause i really was not expecting much from it when i first heard of it, what i like most about is the way it make me felt like watching, it's as if i was able to feel all the character's emotions and like i was a part of it. the orchestra was perfect they play very well.
9:56
Northeast High School
10th Grade
Carmen for my first time going to an opera this play left me mind blown cause i really was not expecting much from it when i first heard of it, what i like most about is the way it make me felt like watching, it's as if i was able to feel all the character's emotions and like i was a part of it. the orchestra was perfect they play very well.
9:56pm
Northeast High School
10th Grade
Carmen for my first time going to an opera this play left me mind blown cause i really was not expecting much from it when i first heard of it, what i like most about is the way it make me felt like watching, it's as if i was able to feel all the character's emotions and like i was a part of it. the orchestra was perfect they play very well.
9:56pm
Northeast high school
Grade 10
Carmen was my first ever opera show that I got to see in person. I personally would have never thought to pick anything else to go see. It has such an amazing plot and so many twists and turns which makes it amazing. Not only did I enjoy the show, I bragged nonstop about how I got to see this amazing show live right in my own city. Seeing such a great opera makes me want to see others and If I had the chance I would most definitely watch Carmen a second time.
Northeast high school
Grade 10
Carmen was my first ever opera show and I loved it. It has such an amazing plot with so many twists and turns that it keeps on your feet 24/7. To be able to experience such an amazing show live in my own city makes me love it even more. With out a doubt it was one the best experience I’ve ever had and I if I ever got the chance i Would definitely watch Carmen again. I bragged about it nonstop because of how amazing it was and that made my friends and family want to go see it as well. I loved the experience so much and the storyline itself.
Northeast High School
Grade 12
The French adaptation to a believed-to-be-real story of a woman named "Carmen" is a fascinating event to experience as not only was this my first time experiencing such marvel, but the opera itself has enticed me to explore other operas as well. I think what made this opera a splendid occasion to watch was due to how the actors brought in the audience with their beautiful voices and dynamic tone. Although this opera was very well orchestrated, there are some few discrepancies within the play but it does not make it far from perfect. For instance, there was some moments within the play where the actors were not in sync with the music of the orchestra and I feel as if the actors should have emphasized on making the audience engaged into the play with some chant to really lure in the audience. Be that as it may, the opera was compelling in its music and splendor and I would love to watch it again. Thank you for this wonderful day
Northeast High School
Grade 12
The French adaptation to a believed-to-be-real story of a woman named "Carmen" is a fascinating event to experience as not only was this my first time experiencing such marvel, but the opera itself has enticed me to explore other operas as well. I think what made this opera a splendid occasion to watch was due to how the actors brought in the audience with their beautiful voices and dynamic tone. Although this opera was very well orchestrated, there are some few discrepancies within the play but it does not make it far from perfect. For instance, there was some moments within the play where the actors were not in sync with the music of the orchestra and I feel as if the actors should have emphasized on making the audience engaged into the play with some chant to really lure in the audience. Be that as it may, the opera was compelling in its music and splendor and I would love to watch it again. Thank you for this wonderful day
Northeast High School
Grade 12
The French adaptation to a believed-to-be-real story of a woman named "Carmen" is a fascinating event to experience as not only was this my first time experiencing such marvel, but the opera itself has enticed me to explore other operas as well. I think that although the opera was compelling in its music and splendor, there are a few discrepancies within the play where the actors were not in sync with the music or that the audience wasn't engaged enough. In order to ensure that audience is more engaged with the play, I would suggest for the director of the play to have the actors create a scene where the audience will be lured in the excitement of the play. That can possibly be done from adding action music and the actors creating a more dynamic tone within their speech to give life to the play. Be that as it may, this opera was very well orchestrated and the music was fascinating, beautiful to say the least. I would love to see where the actors and the crew will take this play and how it will be evolved. Thank you for this wonderful experience.
PVA
Grade 12
I liked the opera , it was very interesting. The setting was amazing. It was very well organized. The staging was very well set up. The music was very good. even tho it was in french it was still understood. The english words that were used to translate were very understandable. i would reccomend it to all my friends. During the breaks the changing of the stage settings was very quick.
PVA
Grade 12
Carmen was my first opera I ever went to see and I loved it! The atmosphere and the people and the experience was truly one of kind and an amazing. I liked how it was in french it was really easy to understand I thought it was going to be hard to understand. I actually thought it was going to be boring because it was three hours long and I couldn't eat anything. But the whole cast put on a great show. I liked some of the females costumes and make up and hair. I would recommend this opera to my family and freinds