Carmen
Opera abridged for Young Audience
Composer: Georges Bizet | Librettist: H. Meilhac, L. Halevy | Original Author: Prosper Mérimée
14 April, 3PM
15 April, 3PM
16 April, 3PM
* Tickets at $10 are available for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients on a first-come-first-served basis.
Group tickets are offered to secondary student groups.
To order, visit here.
Run time: Approx. 1 hr 30 mins
Language: French (with Cantonese narration)
Surtitle: Chinese / English
Opera is a refined and highly developed art form with an enduring tradition emphasising beautiful music and powerful dramatic expression. This production of the French opera Carmen is an abridged version specially prepared for educating secondary school students in enhancing their knowledge and appreciation of western opera.
Carmen is composed by Georges Bizet (1838 -75) and libretto by H. Meilhac and L. Halévy after the original short story by Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870). The production will take the form of a series of musical numbers carefully selected and adapted to reduce the total performance time from two-and-a-half hours to approximately ninety minutes. The scenes will be linked together with brief narratives spoken in the local dialect by an actor in the guise of the original author, Mérimée, who will present the powerful story as a succinct and cohesive work of art. The script of the narrative will be specially written for this production by Prof. Lo Kingman, who is also the director of this production.
Synopsis
There will be ten musical numbers, comprising the most famous and effective sections from the opera. The scenes are fully staged with costumes and scenery specially designed in a style that emphasises simplicity, refinement and dramatic appeal.
Each performance consists of ten musical numbers:
- Prelude
- Habanera: Love is a rebellious bird
- Seguidilla: Temptation and escape
- Gypsy Song
- Toreador Song
- Smugglers’ Quintet
- Flower Song
- La Liberte
- The Fight
- The murder
Cast
Samantha Chong
as Carmen
Henry Ngan
as Don José
Wesley Lam
as Don José
Sammy Chien
as Escamillo
Lam Kwok Ho
as Escamillo
Valentina Tao
as Frasquita
Vicki Wu
as Frasquita and Mercédès
Charlene Lee
as Mercédès
Dennis Lau
as Le Remendado
Frankie Fung
as Le Dancaïre
Petrus Cheung
as Zuniga
William Lam
as Narrator
Creative Team
Vivian Ip
Conductor
Lo Kingman
Producer / Director/ English Surtitles Translation
Cindy Leung
Executive Producer
Isaac Wong
Set Designer
Andrew Cheung
Costume Designer
Adonic Lo
Lighting Designer
Choreographer
Boniface Ho
Anna Ngai
Répétiteur
Peter Lally
Répétiteur
Alexander Wong
Répétiteur
Pre-Performance Talk
Arts Experience Scheme for Senior Secondary Students
https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/ab/en/aes.php
The Charm of Performing Arts
The arts bring to students experiences that connect life inside and outside the campus.
When textual narrative turns into live performance, lines, movements, lightings and shades on stage cast a spell of charm on the audience. This magical power created by stage performance calls for rumination and reflection, leaving the audience with sentiments of gratification when the curtain falls.
In fact, these arts groups don’t just perform. Their artists will also move downstage to share their creative process as well as the concept and structure of their works at pre/post-performance discussions and workshops, and share with participants on a wide range of topics from the history of drama to the symbolic meaning of a certain prop. These extension activities will reveal to students the flow of stage production and the many facets of performing arts.
Live performance exudes unparalleled charm in the eye of the audience, and gives artists a sense of fulfillment when they engage their audience and receive their warm applause. We believe that engaging in performing arts will bring enlightening experiences to audience and performers alike, and make them more understanding towards others and curious about life. We therefore look forward to the continuous support of principals and teachers to the Scheme. Let’s work together to enrich the arts experience of students and nurture young theatregoers.
* Since Audience Building Office (AB Office) under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)’s inception in the 2009/10 academic year, the Arts Experience Scheme for Senior Secondary Students by has been providing Other Learning Experiences in Aesthetic Development under the New Senior Secondary School Curriculum and encouraging personal visits to professional performing venues as well as immersion in the arts for enrichment of learning experience.
* Acknowledgement: The Arts Experience Scheme for Senior Secondary Students is supported by the Education Bureau.