The Department of Music at Southeast is thrilled to present 'Carmen' by George Bizet. Hailed as “one of the greatest operas of all time” for its music and story, 'Carmen' will be told in a contemporary setting, in English. 'Carmen' is also considered one of the best “gateway operas” for those who may be new to this form of theatre. The story of 'Carmen' includes large cast of interesting characters and great songs like the “Toreador’s Song”, “Habanera”, and the “Seguidilla”. The plot is exciting and very relevant for modern audiences.

Dr Christopher Goeke, director for the show, writes “'Carmen' at Southeast will be streamlined, updated, and in English and promises to be fun and powerful. We continue to utilize supertitles and an opera orchestra. We are one of the only undergraduate programs in the region able to offer these kinds of performance opportunities for our students and the community.”

If you are unfamiliar with 'Carmen', it’s about an independent, passionate counter-culture heroine who flirts with a young policeman, José, to escape detainment. Despite his straight-laced background, José falls in love with Carmen, who is only interested in a fling. José becomes obsessed with her and ruins his police career by joining Carmen and her gang of smugglers. Carmen is repelled by his suffocating fixation and moves on to local celebrity, Escamillo. 'Carmen' is a timeless story and reveals the explosive effects of unwavering individuality confronting it’s opposite: conformity, control, and repression.