‘Carmen’ Noir – Lyric Stage at MC Offers Brilliant Spin on Bizet’s Classic Opera

Annalee Crawford said she is excited to bring the titular character's self-confidence and fiery temperament to life in 'Bizet's Carmen.'

An honorable soldier in love with his childhood sweetheart becomes infatuated with a femme fatale. The enchantress craves love, but can only sow obsession and jealousy. While leading the soldier on, she becomes involved with another suitor. The ill-fated relationship meets an unexpected end – with a surprising twist.

The plot of “Carmen,” an operatic masterpiece by Romantic-era French composer Georges Bizet, has all the makings of a classic film noir feature. That is why Lyric Stage at MC is transforming the well-known opera into one of the most relatable American mystery formats.

Mississippi College’s team for musical theater and opera will perform “Bizet’s Carmen” at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, and Saturday, Oct. 14, in the Jean Pittman Williams Recital Hall in the Aven Fine Arts Building. A production in two acts sung in French with English dialogue, the performance will feature MC students, faculty, guest artists, and a professional chamber orchestra.

Nicholas Perna, associate professor of voice and voice pedagogy and producer of Lyric Stage at MC, said Carmen lends itself well to a film noir concept.

“The prototypes and themes of film noir run throughout Carmen,” Perna said of the Lyric Stage at MC production, a collaboration with the MC Department of Communication. “Madison Dean (MC media technology coordinator) will be filming multiple camera angles and projecting the opera in black and white during the performance, just like a film noir.

“It is a rare opportunity to produce a masterwork like ‘Carmen’ in a department our size.”

Annalee Crawford of Clinton, an MC alum who is working toward a master’s degree in vocal performance and vocal pedagogy, will play the titular role. Crawford is no stranger to the JPW Recital Hall – she landed a role as Marmee in Lyric Stage at MC’s production of “Little Women” last spring and has performed with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. Perna said her breakout performance as Mrs. Todd in the one-act opera “The Old Maid and the Thief” last fall led to her “Carmen” casting.

“Our production staff was so impressed with Miss Crawford’s vocal development during ‘The Old Maid and the Thief’ that we knew we needed to mount a production to feature this rare talent,” he said.

While Crawford said she is familiar with “Carmen” – “It has many iconic melodies that most people can recognize,” she said – this production represents the first time she has been cast in a title role.

“Playing Mrs. Todd is a very comedic role,” Crawford said. “Carmen is very sensual, passionate, and fiery. Both roles are fun in their own ways.

“The most appealing aspects of Carmen are her passion and her confidence. These are her two attributes that I am most excited to bring to life on the stage. She also has a fiery temper, which has been fun to portray from an acting standpoint.”

To prepare for the role of Carmen, Crawford said she has had to work on building up her self-assurance.

“The challenges for me have been portraying her confidence,” Crawford said. “She is an extremely sensual person. This is reflected in the way she walks, dances, and, of course, in her facial expressions. I’ve had to practice these things over and over to make them feel natural.

“Carmen knows that she can have whatever and whoever she wants. She is always in control, and she knows it. Portraying this as the actor takes a lot of confidence, which is something that I’ve had to work on constantly.”

Perna praised Crawford’s effort and attention to detail.

“Annalee has brought incredible dedication to her preparation,” he said. “She was off-book before we began rehearsals and has brought incredible life and depth to the role.

“It will be a very powerful performance.”

He said the opera’s other roles provide opportunities for MC students to gain theatrical experience.

“They are often the types of roles that young singers will be afforded the chance to do during the early stages of their career,” Perna said. “All the while, we are exposing the students to arguably one of the three most often-performed operas in history.

“They have an opportunity to perform a French opera in the original language, which has proven to be one of the great learning experiences our students will have while at MC. It’s challenging, but also very rewarding.”

The other main characters in “Bizet’s Carmen” include Escamillo, played by guest artist Dr. Chadley Ballantyne, and Don Jose, played by Perna. The remaining cast includes Morales (Abigail Young), Micaela (Anbriehl McCoy on Friday, guest artist Dr. Mandy Spivak-Perna on Saturday), Zuniga (faculty guest artist Dr. Benjamin Williams), Frasquita (Abigail Hughes on Friday, Cez Anne Carino on Saturday), Mercedes (Ainsley Marler on Friday, Maggie Triplett on Saturday), Lillith Pastia (Maria Guay), Pastia’s assistant (Olivia Perna), El Dancairo (Zachary Templeton), El Remendado (Salih Kavruk on Friday, Daniel Bunting on Saturday), and additional chorus members (Caitlin Vickery, Lauren Mullins, Lauren Jordan, and David Doyle).

Sarah Pigott, professor of voice and opera stage director for Lyric Stage at MC, is the director for “Bizet’s Carmen.”

“It was not a small undertaking for her in the slightest,” Crawford said, “but she has done a phenomenal job.”

Those familiar with the traditional opera will notice several changes in the Lyric Stage in the MC version of the story, which employs a smaller cast. Perna said “Carmen” is typically performed by a full orchestra, 80-100 choristers, and the soloists; MC’s version will include about 20 in the chorus and feature an eight-piece chamber orchestra.

“Our motto for the production has been ‘Lean, Mean, and Green’ to demonstrate how a smaller department can mount a masterwork with reduced forces,” he said. “We have cut roughly 40 minutes from the show, reducing the length to just over two hours.

“There is no definitive version of ‘Carmen,’ making it a producer’s nightmare. Bizet died only four months after the premiere. He never got around to making changes. He died thinking ‘Carmen’ was a failure.”

On the contrary, “Carmen” has stood the test of time, delighting audiences with remarkable musical arrangements and a relatable story.

“’Carmen’ contains four of the most popular arias ever written, from Carmen’s ‘Habanera’ and ‘Seguidilla’ to Escamillo’s famous Toreador song and Don Jose’s flower aria,” Perna said. “Throughout the night there are many melodies that every audience member will recognize, even if they didn’t know the melody was from ‘Carmen.’

“It will be a memorable weekend.”

Crawford said “Bizet’s Carmen” is an enriching experience that includes a moral for the audience.

“I hope the audience remembers Carmen for her passion, bravery, and confidence,” she said. “I also hope that people can learn valuable lessons from her story as well.”

Tickets cost $25 each for adults and $10 each for students. Click here to purchase tickets.