Tickets on Sale for Carmen by Bizet Presented by Eastern Opera of NJ

Morristown, NJ, March 3, 2017 (Newswire.com) - ​Eastern Opera of New Jersey opens its fifth season Georges Bizet’s masterpiece Carmen.  A fully staged four act opera, Carmen will be presented on Friday, March 24 at 7:00pm and Sunday March 26 at 3:00pm at the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ. Carmen will be sung in English with a new translation by the company’s General Director Karole Lewis and is suitable for all ages.

An enthralling drama of love and jealousy, packed with well-known enchanting tunes and entertaining dances, Carmen is one of the world's most well loved operas. With impressive bursts of color, the exciting production brings the wonders and sounds of Seville to life, from the dusty town center to the thrill of the bullring. Bizet's unforgettable score overflows with one pleasure after another, a music lover's display of opera's most intoxicating melodies.

One of the most iconic characters in opera is the ferociously liberated and determined Carmen, created from the pages of Prosper Mérimée’s nineteenth century novel.  No man can resist the allure of this fickle and faithless gypsy. Desiring her independence more than anything, she’s willing to die to keep that freedom. A contemporary woman in every sense, Carmen loves as she wishes with sensual passion at that time reserved only for men during the historical writings of the period. 

David Maiullo, Eastern Opera of New Jersey’s (EONJ) principal conductor and music director, will conduct.  Mr. Maiullo, Chairman of the Board and Musical Director of the Bravo Alliance of Performing Artists, has been described by Opera News Magazine as "a pianist of sentiment, discretion and style."  Mr. Maiullo is an accomplished accompanist/coach in the New York City Metropolitan area. His performances of more 2500 recitals and programs have led him to the stages of Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher, Alice Tully, and Merkin Concert Halls in the US as well as venues in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, England and Japan.

This presentation of Carmen is the first opera in Eastern Opera Company’s 2017 season. Eastern Opera was established in 2012 by General Director, Karole Lewis. Of this production, Lewis said “We are excited to present Carmen to the public.  It is set in early 1800 Seville, which is what the librettists Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy intended.  The melodies are memorable and familiar.  The story is filled with passion.  The singers bring the piece to life with the accompaniment of a wonderful orchestra lead by Maestro Maiullo.  There is no doubt that the audience will be humming as they leave the theater.”  

One of the most widely performed operas and with a score consisting of numerous unforgettable arias, this production of Carmen is excellent for both longtime opera enthusiasts and newcomers to the world of opera. Music Director, Paul J. Carroll said, “So much of the music is universally familiar. Even those who have never been to an opera will recognize a great deal of the music.”

Carmen was first performed at the Opera Comique, Paris, on the 3rd of March 1875. While many attended, nobody seemed to have much thought of the opera at that time. It is said that it wasn’t until it was sung in Italian in England in June of 1878 that the opera became a success.  Amazingly Carmen has now become the main stay of every opera company throughout the civilized world, and while it is presented regularly, the audiences never tire of the endless melodies and riveting drama.

Carmen will be performed in English with vocalists from throughout the state of New Jersey and instrumentalists of the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey.

About Eastern Opera of New Jersey:

Eastern Opera Corp. is a nonprofit corporation organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes. Specifically, Eastern Opera has been formed to encourage and instruct individuals for the purpose of improving and developing their capabilities, to educate the public on subjects useful to the individual and beneficial to the community, and to promote the arts and culture to the local communities. The first opera performance, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (May, 2013) was met with standing ovations. For more information contact Lou Kersey at loukersey@easternopera.org or visit http://www.easternopera.org.

Tickets for Carmen are $40 general admission, $30 for students and seniors, and free for children under 12, and may be ordered by calling 908-566-5708 or online at www.easternopera.org/tickets.  For more information, please visit www.easternopera.org.

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For further information, please contact:

Lou Kersey, Assistant to the General Director
Eastern Opera Company of New Jersey
Lou.Kersey@easternopera.org

Carmen Cast

• Carmen                         Karole Lewis
• Don José                       Peter Lewis
• Escamillo                      Mark Cotton
• Micaëla                         Justyna Giermola
• Zuniga                           Don Kalbach
• Le Dancaïre / Moralès  Micah Isley  
• Frasquita                       Jenne Carey
• Mercédès                      Kimberly Lewis
• Lillas Pastia                  Tom Loughman
• Le Dancaïre                   Micha Isley
• Le Remendado              Dmitri Zigrino

Source: Eastern Opera Company of New Jersey

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