+++
author = ["authors/tracy-monaghan.md"]
categories = "Review"
date = "2017-04-09T11:16:00+01:00"
lastmod = "2017-04-09T11:47:00+01:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1491733209080/2017-04-09---Square-Nashville-Carmen.jpg.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Noah Stewart and Ginger Costa-Jackson in Nashville Opera's Carmen, 2017. Photo courtesy of Nashville Opera."
publishDate = "2017-04-09T11:40:00+01:00"
related_articles = ["articles/safe-words-masquerades-nashville-opera-presents-three-way.md","articles/in-review-carmen-at-the-coc.md","articles/an-absolute-triumph-koskys-carmen.md"]
related_companies = ["scene/companies/nashville-opera.md"]
related_people = ["scene/people/jeffrey-williams.md","scene/people/zachary-devin.md","scene/people/ginger-costajackson.md","scene/people/noah-stewart.md","scene/people/melisa-bonetti.md","scene/people/laura-wilde.md","scene/people/courtney-ruckman.md","scene/people/edward-parks.md"]
short_description = "The story is all too familiar: girl meets boy, girl loves boy, when girl changes her mind...boy goes bananas. Carmen is a complicated role that requires both vocal dexterity and superior interpretive choices. Fortunately for us, Nashville Opera&#039;s Carmen, Ginger Costa-Jackson, goes above and beyond those requirements. Ms. Costa-Jackson, a native of Italy who has made a name for herself singing the titular role, was enchanting as Carmen."
slug = "in-review-carmen-at-nashville-opera"
title = "In review: Carmen at Nashville Opera"
+++

[Nashville Opera](/scene/companies/nashville-opera/) closed its four-show, 2016-2017 season with Bizet's *Carmen*.  Director John Hoomes's decision to keep a mostly traditional treatment of the production gave the musicians the space to let Bizet's music speak for itself.  While the largely talented singers seized that opportunity, it seemed – in some cases – that said space allowed the focus to come off the characters themselves.

<figure data-type="image">{{% md %}}![](https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1491733344050/2017-04-09---Nashville-Carmen-1.jpg.jpg)
<figcaption>Ginger Costa-Jackson as Carmen in Nashville Opera's *Carmen*, 2017. Photo courtesy of Nashville Opera.</figcaption>
</figure>

The story is all too familiar: girl meets boy, girl loves boy, when girl changes her mind...boy goes bananas.  Carmen is a complicated role that requires both vocal dexterity and superior interpretive choices.  Fortunately for us, Nashville Opera's *Carmen*, [Ginger Costa-Jackson](/scene/people/ginger-costa-jackson/), goes above and beyond those requirements.  Ms. Costa-Jackson, a native of Italy who has made a name for herself singing the titular role, was enchanting as Carmen: her captivating mezzo voice was round, resonant, and vibrant.  Listening to her reminds me of bowling a strike – thrilling and satisfying.  Her impressive vocal (and physical!) agility and electrifying characterization made her an utmost pleasure to watch – and remained constant even throughout her taxing stage direction (her hands were bound, she jumped triumphantly up on a table, sang perfectly a difficult passage of her aria, and effectively seduced Don José – it was pretty amazing), and I want more.

<figure data-type="image">![](https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1491733489943/2017-04-09---Nashville-Carmen-2.jpg.jpg)<figcaption>Ginger Costa-Jackson as Carmen in Nashville Opera's *Carmen*, 2017. Photo courtesy of Nashville Opera.</figcaption>
</figure>

Ms. Costa-Jackson's opposite, [Noah Stewart](/scene/people/noah-stewart/) as Don José, was my favorite tenor of Nashville Opera's season.  He sounds like a tenor with the soul of a baritone – and the two were a perfect match, vocally.  His voice was full and smooth, like an extra serving of caramel sauce on a sundae, and his high notes remained edgeless.  I would have liked him to also match Ms. Costa-Jackson interpretively; however, Mr. Stewart's physical depiction was not as dynamic.

<figure data-type="image">{{% md %}}![](https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1491733432216/2017-04-09---Nashville-Carmen-3.jpg.jpg)
<figcaption>Ginger Costa-Jackson (Carmen) and Noah Stewart (Don José) in Nashville Opera's *Carmen*, 2017. Photo courtesy of Nashville Opera.</figcaption>
</figure>

[Laura Wilde](/scene/people/laura-wilde/)'s Micaëla provided the ubiquitous contrast to Carmen. Her very bright and soothing soprano offered lightness in a way that goes beyond *fach* – she actually leans pretty dramatic. Her extremely clear tone mixed with warm color was a delight, as was the earnestness Ms. Wilde brought to Micaëla. Baritone [Edward Parks](/scene/people/edward-parks/) was a delightfully smarmy Escamillo, and did justice to *Carmen*'s most recognizable melody.  His robust voice and engaging stage presence brought welcome levity to a pretty dark show. 

The smattering of comprimario roles, Zuniga ([Jeffrey Williams](/scene/people/jeffrey-williams/)), Frasquita ([Courtney Ruckman](/scene/people/courtney-ruckman/)), Mercédès ([Melisa Bonetti](/scene/people/melisa-bonetti/)), Remendado ([Zachary Devin](/scene/people/zachary-devin/)), and Moralès/Dancaïro (Makoto Winkler) gave Nashville Opera's Mary Ragland Young Artists a fun chance to excel in a fine production.  The young singers largely did fine work (though at times, a bit clunky) – and my favorites of the bunch were Ms. Ruckman and Ms. Bonetti as Carmen's BFFs.  We remember the two from [*Three Way*](/in-review-three-way/), and I liked seeing them in starkly different roles.

<figure data-type="image">{{% md %}}![](https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1491733468960/2017-04-09---Nashville-Carmen-4.jpg.jpg)
<figcaption>A scene from Nashville Opera's *Carmen*, 2017. Photo courtesy of Nashville Opera.</figcaption>
</figure>

Nashville Opera's *Carmen* was a good production – though, it seems Mr. Hoomes greatly prefers to stage and produce more modern operas, and excels at doing so.  While the direction played a bit uninspired, the quality singers were a welcome distraction.  I look forward to their 2017-2018 season announcement.
