The Met: Live In HD 2023-24 Season To Continue With Bizet's CARMEN This Month

The Metropolitan Opera's 2023–24 Live in HD season continues with a live transmission of Bizet's ever-popular Carmen on Saturday, January 27, at 12:55PM ET. In her highly anticipated Met debut, English director Carrie Cracknell reinvigorates the classic story of deadly passion with a new staging that moves the action to the modern day and explores themes that could not be more relevant today: gendered violence, abusive labor structures, and the desire to break through societal boundaries.

 

The production stars young mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina, who made headlines in 2018 as the youngest artist ever to sing the title role at London's Royal Opera House, at just 21 years old, and who now makes Met history as the youngest lead in a new staging of Carmen at the age of 27. World-renowned tenor Piotr Beczała also stars as Carmen's troubled lover Don José, alongside soprano Angel Blue as the loyal Micaëla, and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the swaggering Escamillo. Maestro Daniele Rustioni conducts Bizet's timeless score, which includes some of the most famous arias in opera, such as the Habanera and the Toreador Song.

 

Cracknell's creative team includes veteran set designer Michael Levine. Making their Met debuts are costume designer Tom Scutt, lighting designer Guy Hoare, projection designer rocafilm/Roland Horvath, and choreographer Ann Yee.

 

Gary Halvorson will direct the Live in HD presentation for cinemas, with Grammy Award–winning mezzo-soprano Susan Graham as host, providing exclusive behind-the-scenes access and conducting interviews with the cast and creative team during intermission.

 

The Stars of Carmen

Daniele Rustioni, conductor; Milan, Italy

Aigul Akhmetshina, Carmen; Kirgiz-Miyaki, Russia

Angel Blue, Micaëla; Los Angeles, California

Piotr Beczała, Don José; Czechowice-Dziedzice, Poland

Kyle Ketelsen, Escamillo; Clinton, Iowa

 

For further details on Carmen, please click here.

 

The 2023–24 Live in HD season continues with La Forza del Destino (March 9), Roméo et Juliette (March 23), La Rondine (April 20), and Madama Butterfly (May 11). All performances will be Saturday matinees transmitted live from the Met stage.

 

Photo credit: Photo: Paola Kudacki / Met Opera

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