The Opera Workshop at Missouri Western State University presents “La Tragédie de Carmen” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2, and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 3 at the Restoration Church, 117 Francis Street in downtown St. Joseph. Suggested donations for admission are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

“La Tragédie de Carmen” is a 90-minute version of Bizet’s famous “Carmen,” adapted by famed stage director Peter Brook. It will be presented without intermission and in its original French, with English surtitles projected on television monitors.

“‘Carmen’ is a very big opera, with a huge cast and chorus, and Brook was looking for a way to do the show in his small, intimate theater in Paris,” said Dr. Susan Carter, associate professor of music and director of the production. “So he went back to the novella on which Bizet based his opera and stripped it down to its essentials, with a cast of four singers and three actors. All of the famous music that people recognize even if they’ve never been to the opera remain, but ‘La Tragédie de Carmen’ is more intimate, challenging and direct.”

When it was presented in New York, “La Tragédie de Carmen” won the 1984 Tony Special Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theatre and the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience.

The venue for Missouri Western’s production will provide its own “unique theatrical experience,” Dr. Carter said. Restoration Church meets in a former warehouse and natatorium (indoor swimming pool) that church members are restoring to a public space where people can experience and appreciate the city’s unique history.

“From the outside the building doesn’t look like much, but when you go inside, it’s huge,” Dr. Carter said. “I fell in love with the space. What they are doing there is truly phenomenal. We’ll have seats arranged in a semi-circle so everyone is very close to the action.”

A 10-piece orchestra conducted by Dr. Matthew Edwards, director of keyboard studies, will accompany a talented cast, including:

  • Carmen: Kaitlyn Christian, senior music major of St. Joseph
  • Don José: Donovan Jones, senior music major of Tarkio, Missouri
  • Micaela: Lauren Bergman, junior music major (Friday/Sunday) and Sarah Waters, 2014 music graduate (Saturday), both from St. Joseph
  • Escamillo: Dr. Eric Angerhofer, voice and musical theatre faculty
  • Zuniga: Ian Fast, senior music major from Mendon, Illinois
  • Lillas Pastia: Deir Montiel, junior education major from Mexico
  • Garcia: Turki Alqahtani, graduate student from Saudi Arabia

“Our student singers have all won multiple awards in singing competitions, and they’ve really appreciated the opportunity to work alongside a seasoned faculty member in the cast,” Dr. Carter said.

“La Tragédie de Carmen,” with lyrics and music by Marius Constant and arranged by Peter Brook and Marius Constant is presented by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., sole agent in the US, Canada and Mexico for Editions Salabert, a Universal Music Publishing Group company, publisher and copyright owner.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.