Carmen

The Carmen of Prosper Merimee's novel is an inscrutable, sensual she-wolf, seen through the eyes of Don Jose, who is himself portrayed as a heroic bandit. Onstage, in Bizet's great opera, these characters take on the illusions and the atmospheres of the eras and the regions in which they have been performed. French Carmens tend to be cool and detached; Italians, brutal and passionate; Spanish Carmens, elegant as they are sensual.And the settings tend to reflect the zeitgeist of the age. In the revolutionary 1960s, the opera was set during the Spanish Civil War by the New York City Opera.

It's probably of little comfort to mezzo Irina Mishura to be the latest proof that "Carmen" is the Scottish play of opera.Theater buffs know that by "the Scottish play" we mean "Macbeth," a drama so legendary for ill luck that actors refer to it by that pseudonym -- just in case, as my Jewish grandmother used to say, the Evil Eye should be listening.Anyway, Mishura's broken wrist puts her in good company -- especially since she survived her accident on opening night at the Baltimore Opera last Thursday.

It was an opening night with a twist.And not just the usual twists and turns that are a part of the opera "Carmen," a psychological tale of murder and jealousy.This twist was more like a break. A breaking of the lead performer's bones, in fact. But mezzo-soprano Irina Mishura carried on at the opening performance last night and so will "Carmen," performed by the Baltimore Opera Company."She slipped and fell," says Michael Harrison, the general director at the Baltimore Opera Company. "She fell during the performance, but it did not stop her. She didn't know herself if her arm was broken.

Heroic 'Carmen' act a night to rememberWhen Irina Mishura broke her ankle singing "Carmen" on the Lyric stage, she was undergoing an uncanny replay of Rosa Ponselle's accident in the same role on the same stage in a Metropolitan production in the 1930s. I was there when in the third act she was shoved to the ground by Don Fose, thereby breaking her arm.No one in the audience had a clue as to her suffering when, in the final act, she appeared magnificently dressed in a toreador-style outfit, with a scarlet and black cape draped over the broken arm, probably concealing a makeshift sling.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- In the 123 years since Georges Bizet's masterpiece had its premiere at the Opera-Comique in Paris, "Carmen" was never like this.The Houston Grand Opera is putting on a $1.3 million one-time-only outdoor production that employs techniques straight from the world of rock, including huge video backdrops that will show live close-ups of the action on stage as well as slidelike still projections."This is MTV opera," said David Gottlieb, president and chairman of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, the suburban theater where the performance is set for tonight.

Owing to the overwhelming response to Bizet's "Carmen," the Baltimore Opera Company has added a seventh performance for 8: 15 p.m. Saturday at the Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave."The addition makes another 2,400 seats available to the public," said Michael Harrison, the opera company's general director. "The 'Carmen' production has attracted almost 10,000 subscribers and 4,721 single-ticket buyers to become the biggest selling opera in the company's history."According to Harrison, this year's opera season already has broken attendance records with more than 48,000 tickets sold to date.

The opera "Carmen," like the drama "Macbeth," has a well-earned reputation as an unlucky vehicle for the actors and singers who dare perform it.Superstitious actors often refer to the Shakespearean drama as simply "the Scottish play," afraid that mentioning its name could somehow summon the demons of misfortune.Writer Judith Green in an article in The Sun last week provided voluminous examples of how "Carmen" may be the musical counterpart of "Macbeth."On opening night of the Baltimore Opera Company's production of "Carmen" at the Lyric Theater several weeks ago, mezzo Irina Mishura fell as her spike heels slid out from under her on the raked stage.

Two third-grade girls shrieked like star-struck fans when Carmen Phillips entered Riverview Elementary School yesterday.The state superintendent of schools acknowledged she was "envious" of Carmen's artistic abilities. The principal of Chase Elementary School called her an "inspiration" for young writers.All of the attention was more than a little unfamiliar to Carmen -- she is just an 11-year-old from Ocean City.But as the author and illustrator of the children's book "Cleocatra," Carmen was invited to tour two Baltimore County elementary schools yesterday, shaking hands, autographing books and talking to students about reading and writing.

The sudden resignation of Edward DeBartolo Jr., the only NFL owner to win five Super Bowls, as the head of the San Francisco 49ers is not expected to have a major impact on the team's fortunes.That's the opinion of several NFL owners because the team will stay in the family with his sister, Marie Denise DeBartolo York, stepping into the position of team chairman, and team president Carmen Policy, who has been running the day-to-day operations for years, remaining at his post. He will become a minority partner.

In opera, as in the laboratory, chemistry is everything.When the leads mesh musically and dramatically, melodies soar, emotions bubble over, and the passion of grand opera leaps off the stage to enfold and dazzle the audience.And when they don't, you get a production like the "Carmen" presented last weekend by the Annapolis Opera.Yes, there was color.Most of the leads could sing.There were snappy interludes such as the marvelous Act II quintet in which Carmen professes her love for Don Jose, the hapless soldier about to be destroyed by his passion for the fickle Gypsy girl.

The demise of the Baltimore Opera Company last season left a sizable void at the venue where the organization had long made its home. But losing a valued tenant hasn't taken the opera out of the Lyric Opera House. The theater has lined up its own operatic activity for the 2009-2010 season. Although modest in terms of quantity - just three performances - the series has the potential of delivering on the quality end, and of laying the groundwork for more extensive seasons in the future. "The Lyric is thoroughly committed to having opera here," says Jim Harp, former artistic administrator and education coordinator of the Baltimore Opera.

Woods says he'll return next week at Match Play golf Eight months after winning the U.S. Open on one good leg, a healthy Tiger Woods is returning to golf. Woods said on his Web site yesterday that he will defend his title next week in the Accenture Match Play Championship, believing his reconstructed left knee and his game are good enough to win. "I'm now ready to play again," Woods said. The Match Play Championship begins Wednesday in Tucson, Ariz., where Woods will end his 253-day break from competition.

When it was new, Bizet's Carmen generated little enthusiasm among the operatic intelligentsia. Typical of the reaction was this from The New York Times, after the opera's first U.S. performance in 1878: "As a work of art, it is naught." Even its tunefulness was called into question: "Of melody, as the term is generally understood, there is but little" said the Boston Gazette. Makes you wonder what kind of meds those guys were on. Needless to say, no amount of carping could ever stop Carmen from becoming one of the world's most popular operas.

Beware of flying crockery. I'm pleased to report that no members of the audience were accidentally beheaded during a recent performance of Le Cabaret de Carmen. That would be carrying the quest for authenticity a bit too far. But at times, it was a close call. Most singers portraying the Gypsy siren Carmen use castanets when they dance. Sophie-Louise Roland uses shards of a plate that she obligingly shatters on stage. At one point, Roland flung her arm so vehemently over her head that a heavy metal bracelet flew off her arm and ricocheted against the wall.

On April 13, 2008, CARMEN; beloved mother of Gelsell Majette. She is also survived by one brother, Clarence Carter, Jr.; two sisters, Amelier Horn and Rosita Mitchell and other family members and friends. Friends may call WYLIE FUNERAL HOME, P.A,, 638 N. Gilmore Street, on Friday, from 5 to 8 P.M., Family will receive friends on Saturday, 10 A.M., Wake and 10:30 A.M. Funeral Service Oak Street AME Church, 123 W. 24 Street. Inquiries : www.wyliefuneralhome.com

The gypsy sorceress Carmen sauntered into Annapolis over the weekend to shatter 35-year-old box-office records with the company's first-ever sold-out performances for both Friday and Sunday. Most opera fans who attended should not have been disappointed by what they heard in a fully staged production that brought together the talents of the Annapolis Opera, Annapolis Symphony Orchestra the Ballet Theatre of Maryland, and a lively children's chorus along with an adult chorus to support the stellar singers in leading roles.

Success has followed success in Annapolis Opera's 35th anniversary season, starting with an opening concert that many thought was the best ever, the traditional holiday Mozart concert and last month's 20th Vocal Competition. These events were mere preludes to this season's major undertaking: a fully staged production of Georges Bizet's Carmen. One of the world's most popular operas, Carmen boasts a fabulous melodic score that retains its excitement despite its familiarity. Although Bizet had never set foot in Spain, he captured in his opera all the flavor and color of 19th century Seville.

Even as financial problems have beleaguered the Ballet Theatre of Maryland, artistic director Dianna Cuatto is preparing to begin her fifth year at the helm of the organization, which is larger and stronger. During Cuatto's tenure, the Annapolis-based professional company has grown from six dancers to 13. Their caliber has also increased. The dancers are full-time paid performers, many of whom teach at the ballet school. There is also camaraderie and a willingness to work wherever needed, from building sets to helping with costumes and, last spring, even offering their own fund raiser.

On June 22, 2007, LEAMOND L. SUGGS; devoted friend of Carmen Tuitt. Friends may call at the FAMILY OWNED MARCH FUNERAL HOME WEST, INC., 4300 Wabash Avenue on Wednesday after 8 :30 a.m. where the family will receive friends on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Funeral services will follow at 11:30 am.

The upcoming 35th season of Annapolis Opera will be the last of Dennis Monk's presidency - four years of growth that moved the company from a shaky financial status to relative security. In a note to subscribers that accompanied the 2007-2008 season announcement, Monk lamented that classical music is not as accessible on radio and television as it was in decades past when opera luminaries such as Jan Peerce and Robert Merrill were frequent guests on popular radio and television shows. Concerned about the many people never exposed to opera, Monk said, "It is the company's mission to bring the best of opera close to home at affordable prices.