WEBmikey: Carmen / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5

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Carmen / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5
4.27.2008 12:08 PM \| Link	Last night was a special opera evening for me, since this was Austin Lyric Opera's debut production at the new Long Center (which means this review is for both the venue and the opera)! Since I had no idea how parking was going to work out, I arrived almost an hour early, which turned out to be a great plan, since I had time to explore (and take a few photos) before the show. Actually, this may be my new routine, since the Long Center has a beautiful terrace that overlooks the city, which is perfect for enjoying a glass a wine before settling down to three hours of entertainment. The architecture is modern, but still feels somewhat classical to me, but unfortunately everything (right down to staircases) is labeled with donor names, which gets old pretty fast. The theater itself is fantastic, designed so every seat is much closer to the stage compared to the Bass Concert Hall, and I was thrilled with my new seats! So, on to the opera, which was an incredible production of Bizet's Carmen. I think that operas containing so many "hit" arias are difficult to make relevant, since the audience just ends up tapping their toes to the tunes they know, but ALO really did a fine job at making the story itself more prominent. In fact, I think I got into the characters in this production more than any other Carmen I have seen before! The sets and lighting were wonderful (although I have to complain about the incredibly long pause during the third act for a set change, which was simply uncomfortable), and the performers were absolutely amazing, especially Carmen herself, who really made some sense of the character's thoughts and motives. And of course, the popular Habanera and Toreador arias were fantastic and full of spirit! For me, it was a wonderful first experience at the Long Center, and I'm definitely looking forward to many more arts events there in the future. View photos: The Long Center Labels: arts, opera, photos


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