‘Carmen’: Dawn Padula and Kitsap Opera bring a tempestuous character to life | Kitsap Week

By CHRIS TUCKER
ctucker@soundpublishing.com

BREMERTON — The student theater at Olympic College in Bremerton was bustling with activity over the weekend as dozens of actors, directors and a pianist rehearsed their roles for an upcoming Kitsap Opera production of “Carmen.”

Dressed in street clothes, the rehearsing actors sang and danced to tell the early 1800s story of a Spanish soldier, Don José, his main squeeze, Micaëla and a beautiful Gypsy girl, Carmen.“

Carmen” is a four-act opera created by French composer Georges Bizet. It premiered in 1875 in Paris. But three Kitsap performances will be held a bit closer to home at the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton at 7:30 p.m. July 24; 3 p.m. July 26; and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1.

Tickets are $18-$32 and may be purchased at the Admiral Theatre box office or online at www.admiral theatre.org.

“We did it about 20 years ago, and ‘Carmen’ is usually a sell-out,” said artistic director Leone Cottrell-Adkins. “It is the most colorful opera, I believe, ever written. It’s a tempestuous, beautiful lead with all this Gypsy atmosphere.”

Referring to lead actress Dawn Padula, she added, “It’s a very exciting opera. You can’t do it unless you have a Carmen and fortunately, I have a tremendous Carmen.”

Actor and tenor Stephen Wall will play Carmen’s off-and-on love interest. Wall is “one of the finest singers around,” Cottrell-Adkins said. “It’s a very big production … It will probably be the biggest set you’ve ever seen in Kitsap County,” she said.

Act 1 opens with the scene of a town square in Seville, Spain. Micaëla comes to the square to find her beau José, but is told he is not yet on duty. A factory bell rings and cigarette girls arrive tobanter with the men. The beautiful Carmen sings a provocative love song and the men show their affection for her. Carmen chooses to throw a flower to José. The women leave, and Micaëla returns with a kiss for José and a letter from his mother requesting José marry Micaëla. José learns Carmen attacked another woman with a knife and arrests her. But Carmen’s wiles are enough to persuade José to free her. José is then arrested for dereliction of duty.

In Act 2, one month later, José is freed from prison. Carmen, who had been waiting at an inn, is pleased at this news. The bullfighter Escamillo then arrives with great fanfare. Escamillo tries to gain the favor of Carmen, but she brushes him aside. Smugglers arrive and make known their plan to dispose of contraband. Mercédès and Frasquita want to help the smugglers, but Carmen refuses and instead treats José to a private dance. A bugle calls, and José tells Carmen he must report for duty. Carmen mocks his decision. José gets into a fight with a senior officer, Zuniga, and is forced to leave with Carmen and the smugglers.

Act 3 finds Carmen, José and the smugglers in the mountain wilderness. Mercédès and Frasquita amuse themselves with fortune cards, which foretell the death of both José and Carmen. Carmen loses interest in José and tells him to return to his mother. Escamillo arrives and proclaims his love for Carmen, and then Escamillo and José fight until interrupted by smugglers. Escamillo leaves and invites everyone to his next bullfight. Micaëla arrives and tells José that his mother is dying, and the two depart.

Act 4 takes place in the Seville square. A crowd is excited that a bullfight will begin soon. Escamillo and Carmen arrive, professing their love for one another. José begs Carmen to return to him, but she refuses, and José then stabs Carmen, killing her. José then confesses to killing the woman he loved.

The production consists of 16 chorus members, 10 principal actors and 32 musicians with the Bremerton Symphony. The opera’s artistic director is Leone Cottrell-Adkins and Tom Sunderland serves as stage director.

Cast members are Carmen, played by Dawn Padula; Don José, played by Stephen Wall; Micaëla, played by Laura Loge; Escamillo, played by Micah Parker; Zuniga, played by John Wagner; Moralès, played by Michael Dudley; Frasquita, played by Emily Riesser; Mercédès, played by Amber Rose Johnson; El Remendado, played by Brandon Higa; El Dancairo, played by Frederick Schlott; and Morales, played by Walter Brown.

From left, Mary Lou Mills, Patty Karakas, Anna Karakas, Angela Morgan, Elizabeth A. Russell, Barbara Smith Jones and Sara Reynolds swoon as ladies man Escamillo sings during a rehearsal of “Carmen” at Olympic College in Bremerton July 18. Escamillo is played by Micah Parker. Photo: Chris Tucker / Sound Publishing