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S51E23

Great Performances at the Met: Carmen

Premiere: 6/14/2024 | 0:30 |

Acclaimed English director Carrie Cracknell makes her Met debut, resetting the classic story to the modern day that moves the focus to issues that could not be more relevant today: gendered violence, abusive labor structures, and the desire to break through societal boundaries.

About the Episode

Premieres Friday, June 14 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings)

Acclaimed English director Carrie Cracknell makes her Met debut, resetting the classic story to the modern day that moves the focus to issues that could not be more relevant today: gendered violence, abusive labor structures, and the desire to break through societal boundaries. Young mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina leads a quartet of stars in the complex and volatile title role, alongside tenor Piotr Beczała as Carmen’s troubled lover Don José, soprano Angel Blue as the loyal Micaëla, and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the swaggering Escamillo. Daniele Rustioni conducts Bizet’s score.

Later this summer, Great Performances at the Met: La Forza del Destino starring soprano Lise Davidsen as Leonora premieres Sunday, July 7 at 2 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). These operas are part of season 18 of Great Performances at the Met premiering now through October.

 

Carmen Production Credits:

Cast:

Benjamin Taylor – Moralès

Angel Blue – Micaëla

Piotr Beczała – Don José

Wei Wu – Zuniga

Aigul Akhmetshina – Carmen

Sydney Mancasola – Frasquita

Briana Hunter – Mercédès

Kyle Ketelsen – Escamillo

Michael Adams – Le Dancaïre

Frederick Ballentine – Le Remendado

 

Creative:

Gary Halvorson – Director for Television

Daniele Rustioni – Conductor

Carrie Cracknell – Production

Michael Levine – Set Designer

Tom Scutt – Costume Designer

Guy Hoare – Lighting Designer

Rocafilm/Roland Horvath – Projection Designer

Ann Yee – Choreographer

Tim Martyn – Music Producer

Matt Dobkin and Merrin Lazyan – Creative Content Producers

Matthew Polenzani – Host

Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy – Libretto

Prosper Mérimée – Novella upon which opera is based

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PRODUCTION CREDITS

Great Performances at the Met is produced by the Metropolitan Opera in association with PBS and The WNET Group, bringing the best of the Metropolitan Opera into the homes of opera fans across the country. For the Met: Mia Bongiovanni is supervising producer and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances: Bill O’Donnell is Series Producer; David Horn is Executive Producer.

FUNDING CREDITS

For Great Performances, funding is provided by The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, and Jody and John Arnhold.

TRANSCRIPT

♪♪♪ Can the love of a good man tame a wild and free woman, or will she be his ruin -- or worse?

♪♪♪ more moving than ever in this modern-day production of Bizets tragic opera.

Thrill to the sensational Aigul Akhmetshina, Piotr Beczaa, Angel Blue and Kyle Ketelsen in “Carmen” on Great Performances at the Met.