Lisa Chavez takes command in strong 'Carmen' at Sarasota Opera

It’s no wonder that the Sarasota Opera would once again fill its hall with the wildly popular opera “Carmen,” which, at Saturday’s opening night, featured strong notes on many levels, from bottom to top. 

The backbone of scenic design, costumes and lighting are nearly always a highlight in the hands of David P. Gordon, Howard Tvsi Kaplan and Ken Yunker, respectively. The town square setting, complete with La Giralda tower in the skyline, drew gasps as the curtain rose. 

While too often the glory is heaped on the performers singing the title character and her lost-love Don Jose, the strength of the chorus must get top billing in this production. The connective tissue is in their hands and, in total, they were stars. Stage director Martha Collins deserves credit for the engaging yet realistic stage movement of the entire force. 

The soldiers on guard handily sing “Sur la place, chacun passe” while watching the townfolk pass by. We are introduced to the boorish lieutenant Zuniga, the baritone Costas Tsourakis, and Don Jose’s village sweetheart, Micaela, played to innocent perfection by soprano Hanna Brammer. 

The chorus of children playing soldier and singing the trumpet lines in “Avec la garde montante” was quite charming. Their musical material demanded real talent and training, and they owned it entirely. 

The gypsy women of the cigar factory, mixed with the soldiers, also beguiled us with smoke and “La cloche a sonné” in a dreamy spiraling to the skies. In contrast, a fight scene spilling out of the factory later in Act I tightened the tension and ramped up the violence to good effect. 

Then Carmen arrives and mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez took the stage with a sure command singing “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle.” Her voice, a mixture of throaty lust and cool heartlessness, immediately painted the picture of a self-absorbed, it’s-all-about-me wanton working wench. In every turn, from the seductive “Habenera” and enticing “Seguidilla” to the castenet-accompanied dance “Je vais danser en votre honneur ... La la la,” Carmen sought to take down her quarry, Don Jose. With the exception of a couple of blistering full-embrace kisses with Don Jose, I can’t say that she could love anything but sex and herself. Who knew a few songs could create all that? Well, at least a good score in the hands of a strong singer-actress can. 

Don Jose, ably portrayed by tenor Cody Austin, was convincing only as the hapless man caught in the snare of a huntress. We could feel pity for him if we didn’t sneer at his lack of character. Austin barreled through the role, hitting the high notes more or less. It seemed a stretch for his voice yet he had moments where the beauty shone through. 

The sweet love of his mother in “Parle-moi de ma mère!” outshone his confession of love for Carmen in “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée.” The Flower Song, as it is known, has Don Jose laying himself bare to Carmen, who uses it as leverage to get her way. With a more flexible voice, Austin could play on subtle phrasing to get the tear-jerking impact desired. 

The women owned this show; even the bravado of the bullfighter Escamillo, baritone Steven LaBrie, couldn’t match the strength of Carmen. He appears only twice, first with the iconic “Toreador Song,” his voice fighting for dominance over the orchestra, and the second time as he seeks Carmen when she is in the mountains with the smugglers (Alexander Charles Boyd and Sean Christiansen). 

The orchestra is blessed throughout this opera with colorful and memorable music, too much to point out. Every bit of it was delivered with panache under the leadership of conductor John F. Spencer IV. 

If you don’t know who dies in the last act, then you will have to experience it for yourself. We all know it’s going to happen, and the mounting tension is worth the price. 

‘Carmen’ 

By Georges Bizet. Conducted by John F. Spencer IV, directed by Martha Collins. Reviewed Feb. 17 at Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. In repertory through March 24. Tickets start at $19. 941-328-1300; sarasotaopera.org