SUNY Potsdam

Playing Don José, Roberto Alagna, left, points his blade at his would-be gypsy lover, Carmen, played by Elīna Garanča, right.

Summer HD Encores Wraps up with Sultry Production of 'Carmen'

07.21.10

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2010 Summer HD Encores series will conclude with a broadcast of this year’s critically acclaimed production of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 28. Through a partnership between SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music and the Roxy Theater, the opera series has been broadcast throughout the summer at the downtown movie theater.

One of the most popular operas of all time, “Carmen” is “about sex, violence, and racism—and its corollary: freedom,” says Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre about this production of Bizet's drama. “It is one of the inalienably great works of art. It's sexy, in every sense. And I think it should be shocking.”

The Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča sings the seductive gypsy of the title for the first time at the Met, opposite smoldering tenor Roberto Alagna as the obsessed Don José. Rising maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts. Running time for the feature is expected to be two hours and 45 minutes.

“Carmen” is part of the second summer series of the award-winning The Met: Live in HD programs, which continue to captivate audiences around the world. The Summer HD Encores series features six of the most popular operas ever composed in startling high definition and digital surround sound. Shortened intermission features allow for the enjoyment of younger audiences as well as for busy schedules, and English subtitles bring the stories to life. Experience the depth and raw energy of world-class opera without going all the way to New York City!

Special summer ticket pricing is discounted: $13 for adults, $11 for senior citizens, $9 for students and $7 for youths aged 18 and under.

Tickets are available by phone at (315) 267-2277; in person at the Community Performance Series Box Office, the Roxy Theater and Northern Music and Video in Potsdam; or online at www.cpspotsdam.org.

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures, and concerts presented by faculty, students, and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York’s only All-Steinway institution.