Back to All Events

Opera “Carmen” | Seagle Festival | Schroon Lake | July 23-26, 2025

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 7:30 PM
Saturday, July 26, 2025 11:00 PM

Seagle Festival 999 Charley Hill Road Schroon Lake, NY, 12870 United States (map)

Google Calendar ICS

Seagle Festival Performs Bizet’s Carmen in Schroon Lake

Seagle Festival performs the opera Carmen in Schroon Lake

A mainstay of the classic operatic repertoire, Carmen returns to Seagle Festival after more than a 20-year hiatus.

The spectacle, the drama, and the unforgettable tunes, including Carmen’s “Habanera”, Escamillo’s “Toreador”, Micaëla’s “Je dis”, and Don José’s “La fleur” are some of the most treasured of all time.

A passionate tale of love, jealousy and tragedy.

Georges Bizet's "Carmen" stands as one of the most beloved and frequently performed operas in the classical repertoire. Premiered in Paris in 1875, this four-act opera tells a passionate tale of love, jealousy, and tragedy set against the vibrant backdrop of 19th-century Seville, Spain.

The story centers on Carmen, a seductive and fiercely independent Romani woman who works in a cigarette factory. When she gets into a fight with another worker and is arrested, she encounters Don José, a naive young corporal in the Spanish army.

Carmen easily manipulates the infatuated soldier, convincing him to let her escape by promising to meet him at a tavern. This fateful encounter sets in motion a destructive spiral of obsession and betrayal.

Tension and high drama.

The opera's second act introduces Escamillo, a charismatic toreador whose confidence and fame make him an instant rival for Carmen's affections.

Bullfighting in the Opera Carmen in Schroon Lake at the Seagle Festival

As Carmen grows increasingly bored with the desperate José, she becomes drawn to the bullfighter's bold masculinity and the public acclaim it brings. This shift in her affections drives José to the brink of madness.

The tension reaches its climax during a festival in Seville, where Escamillo is scheduled to fight. Despite warnings that José is nearby and dangerous, Carmen refuses to be intimidated or controlled. In the opera's tragic finale, José confronts Carmen outside the bullring, pleading with her to return to him.

When she defiantly throws his ring back at him and declares her love for Escamillo, José stabs her in a jealous rage. As the crowd emerges from the arena celebrating Escamillo's victory, they discover Carmen's lifeless body and José surrendering himself to the authorities.

An operatic masterpiece.

Bizet's masterpiece is renowned for its memorable musical numbers, including Carmen's seductive "Habanera" ("Love is a rebellious bird"), the "Seguidilla," and the triumphant "Toreador Song."

Seagle Festival performs the opera "Carmen"

The composer brilliantly incorporates Spanish musical elements, creating an exotic atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the conventional French operatic style of the era.

Thematically, "Carmen" explores the clash between passion and duty, freedom and possession. Carmen embodies absolute personal liberty, refusing to be owned or controlled by any man, while José represents the tragic consequences of obsessive love.

The opera's portrayal of sexuality, violence, and moral ambiguity was considered scandalous at its premiere, contributing to its initial lukewarm reception.

Tragically, Bizet died just three months after the premiere, never witnessing the eventual triumph of Carmen. Today, the opera is celebrated not only for its dramatic power and musical brilliance but also for its complex protagonist—a woman who chooses death over the loss of her freedom, making Carmen one of opera's most compelling and enduring characters.