Opera Santa Barbara Presents CARMEN to Open Season!

Opera Santa Barbara will open its 2016-17 season with a colorfully electrifying production of Carmen, Georges Bizet's enduring tale of love and jealousy set amid the vibrant, unruly streets of 19th century Seville. Performances will take place at 7:30 pm onFriday, November 4, and at 2:30 pm on Sunday, November 6, in the historic Granada Theatre. Ranging in price from $29 to $204, tickets can be purchased at www.granadasb.org or by calling 805-899-2222.

Bizet's drama about a strong-willed gypsy seductress, a charismatic bullfighter, and a hapless soldier scandalized Paris upon its premiere in 1875, but has since become one of the world's most frequently staged operas, beloved for its irresistible melodies and captivating dances.

Directed by Octavio Cardenas, Opera Santa Barbara's production will feature three of the region's most celebrated Flamenco dancers - Wendy Castellanos-Wolf, Pamela Lourant, and Marcela Aguayo - and will mark the inaugural appearance of the company's new Youth Opera chorus for singers ages 8 to 18.

The production also will mark the company conducting debut of Kostis Protopapas, who was named OSB artistic director in July 2015.

"I'm very much looking forward to my conducting debut with Opera Santa Barbara, working with an absolutely fantastic cast and the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra and Chorus on one of the world's most treasured operas. This is our biggest production in several years, true to the spirit of grand opera," he said.

Mezzo-soprano Leann Sandel-Pantaleo will make her company debut in the title role. Lauded by the Portland Press Herald for her "glorious voice," she has sung Carmen with both Opera Omaha and Tulsa Opera, and last season performed as Amneris in Aida with Sarasota Opera. Other recent roles include Tamara in the world premiere of Enemies, A Love Story with Palm Beach Opera, Ursule in Béatrice et Bénédict with Houston Grand Opera, and Siegrune in Die Walküre with the Metropolitan Opera. Ms. Sandel-Pantaleo also has sung Siegrune at the Berlin State Opera, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, and the BBC Proms in London. This season she will appear as the Old Prioress in Dialogues of the Carmelites with Sarasota Opera.

Critically acclaimed tenor Harold Meers will sing the role of Don Jose, the soldier whose consuming obsession turns deadly. Since his professional debut with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Mr. Meers has frequented the principal lyric venues of North America, including appearances with San Francisco Opera, San Diego Opera, Baltimore Opera, New Orleans Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Minnesota Opera, among many others. He sang the role of the Duke in Opera Santa Barbara's 2007 production of Rigoletto.

Rounding out the cast will be baritone Keith Phares as the flamboyant bullfighter Escamillo and Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique as Micaela. Opera News has hailed Mr. Phares' Grammy Award-winning recording of Elmer Gantry with Florentine Opera as "a strong contender for iconographic recognition." An alumnus of the Music Academy of the West, he also has performed with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Seattle Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and numerous others. Ms. De Bique boasts many international awards and credits, and will be among the featured soloists for the Santa Barbara Symphony's season-opening performances of Beethoven's stirring Symphony No. 9 on October 15 and 16.

Complete artist biographies are available at www.operasb.org.

Sung in French with English surtitles, Opera Santa Barbara's production of Carmen is generously supported by Roger and Sarah Chrisman, the Elaine F. Stepanek Foundation, and the Mithun Family Foundation.

Opera Santa Barbara's 2016-17 season will continue with Leoš Janá?ek's The Cunning Little Vixen - featuring superstar soprano and UC Santa Barbara faculty member Isabel Bayrakdarian - on March 3 and 5, and Puccini's elegant and poignant operetta La Rondine on April 28 and 30.

The Granada Theatre is located at 1214 State Street in downtown Santa Barbara.

To place a season subscription order, visit www.operasb.org or call 805-898-3890.

Subscribers can purchase season tickets for their children ages 17 and under for just $42. These discounted tickets allow for seating with parents in all sections of the Granada except the loge and boxes.

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