Carmen

This production of Carmen was created 26 years ago in Perth by director Lindy Hume and designer and Dan Potra. Having played many times throughout Australia and New Zealand during the intervening years, this show, sometimes described as “the feminist Carmen”, remains young, vibrant and exciting. After an eight year absence from Perth (it was controversially cancelled during the time that the West Australian Opera was sponsored by Healthways), local audiences were more than keen to re-engage, and the audience on Opening Night of this sold-out run were thrilled and very responsive.

Milijana Nikolic is a dynamic, engaging Carmen who has a gorgeous soaring voice, but also brings a strong acting performance. She has beautiful chemistry with Paul O’Neill, who is a strong voiced, sympathetic Don José, who devotion to and obsession with Carmen is believable.

The standout performance, for me, was Emma Pearson’s beautifully sung Micaëla, who changes the mood on stage with every appearance and delivers a captivating, moving voice. 

James Clayton convincingly gives toreador Escamillo the swagger and sex-appeal of a man who knows he is a local super-star. Paull-Anthony Keightley is strong as officer Zuniga. Rebecca Castellini and Fleuranne Brockway bring colour and freshness to friends Frasquita and Mercédès, while solid support comes from Sam Roberts-Smith (Moralès), Mark Alderson (Dancaïre), Matt Reuben James Ward (Remendado) and Michael Loney (Lillas Pastia).

An engaged and vibrant West Australian Opera Chorus were in fine voice and added colour, energy and emotion. A twelve member children’s chorus also performed superbly. Numerous super-numeries show dedication throughout.

A seemingly flawless West Australian Symphony Orchestra provides accompaniment under the leadership of conductor Antony Walker.

A highly emotive, movingly sung production with great dedication to the story, 2018’s Carmen deserved its warm response on Opening Night, from an audience who would have been happy to applaud for much longer.

Kimberley Shaw

Photographer: James Rogers