The fabulous OperaSoc opened the show season of the Riley Smith with a serious something. Carmen was a treat. Opera may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the enthusiasm and talent on stage was simply infectious. I’ve seen a couple of OperaSoc’s shows before, and know their strength when it comes to comedy, but Carmen is full of drama, and conflicting romance. Despite this, I had already heard great things about the cast, the orchestra, and sell-out mid-week performances. I went along in anticipation with an open mind.
Bizet’s Carmen is fairly well known and was a brave choice, however they really pulled it out of the bag. It’s got pretty much everything you could want from a show, romance, drama, politics, and a good helping of great melodies to carry it all through – no wonder it’s passed the test of time. The music of Carmen is recognisable, even if you’ve never heard of the opera, as it’s used in pop culture all of the time – it was nice to finally put this into context.
The hall was filled with people and there was a great atmosphere; it was clear from the very beginning that a lot of work had been put into the show. The best part of the production was the synergy of chorus members throughout. Some really great scenes will still take me back, Bianca Von Oppell’s depiction of Carmen really gave the self penned nickname ‘Queen of Sass’ some real meaning, whilst Calum McGregor brought all the innocence and confusion of young love and enamourment to Don Jose. The addition of choreography to the show was a welcome one, whilst the strength of all of the leads really brought the show alive, showing both the strength of the cast and production team, as their casting was very well thought through.
The orchestra was larger than I had expected, and although fighting against the constant battle that is the acoustic of Riley Smith, with Musical Director Jake Pople at the helm, OperaSoc most certainly won.
Carmen was an absolute triumph for OperaSoc and all those involved, I for one can’t wait for their next production: Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic opera HMS Pinafore.
Beverley Logan
Photos: Robert Palin