Operagasm Exclusive: North Carolina Opera’s Carmen: An Enjoyable Evening

by Megan Steigerwald

After the first twenty minutes of North Carolina Opera’s production of Bizet’s Carmen, I had begun tentatively titling this review “Saccharine Carmen Leaves a Bitter Taste.” Thankfully, both for the opera-going public, and those sensitive to hackneyed language within opera reviews, my prevailing impressions of the production were of a robust, well-sung evening, complete with a juxtaposition of tender, disturbing, and ultimately poignant moments—exactly what any operaphile expects to receive after an evening with the ill-fated gypsy.

Carmen opened North Carolina Opera’s second season; the company has done an impressive job of maintaining standards of high quality direction and musicianship despite the economic challenges that are becoming an every day reality for most small (and large) opera companies in the United States. This production used a significant portion of the original spoken dialogue, and although there were several noticeable supertitle issues throughout the evening, the audience seemed appreciative and engaged throughout.

Now—the reason for my initial apprehension. The opening of Act I of the opera proves to be a challenge simply because with the wrong treatment, it can seem naïve, stiff, and (dare I say it?) a bit too “Disney.” This, unfortunately was the case Friday evening. The cheerful soldiers played cards, visited with various members of the supernumerary aristocracy, until the entrance of Andrea Edith Moore’s Michaëla. Moore’s inherent sensuality, coupled with a forced affectation of innocence, and sky blue corseted dress did not assuage my growing fear that I had stumbled upon a production of Beauty and the Beast. Despite this initial concern, as both the ensemble seemed to unite, and the principals (most notably Leann Sandel-Pantaleo’s Carmen and Rachel Copeland’s Frasquita) were able to interact, the raw, visceral world of the Carmen I was hoping to see began to emerge. Most notable in this progression was Don Jose and Carmen’s duet before the finale of Act II. The inherent fire within their relationship as well as Don Jose’s growing need to violently possess the gypsy was evident through excellent direction of a constant building, and releasing of physical tension on stage. One of the other strongest storytelling moments occurred in “Melons, coupons” as the touching intimacy and humor between Copeland and Jennifer Seiger’s Mercedes contrasted with Sandel-Pantaleo’s plaintive realization of her own death. (The work of light designer Jeff Davis shone especially—no pun intended—in this particular moment, and in Act III particularly.)

Sandel-Pantaleo is a sensual and vibrant Carmen; she brings a physical lightness and energy to the role that does not diminish the richness of her voice. I was surprised in the first and second act at certain balance issues that seemed to be occurring in the middle of the voice, but these were solved in the last two acts. I concluded that this might simply be a pacing issue that evolved into an issue more obvious than originally expected. Regardless, her tone was warm and round, and especially impressive and full in the upper middle of the voice.

Other notable moments were offered by Copeland, whose pure tone seemed to have an unexpected sheen each time she began singing, and Moore, particularly in “Je dis, que rien ne m’epouvante.” Moore’s instrument has a certain opalescence that is particularly served by her impressive phrasing and inherent musicality; the enthusiastic applause she received at the end of the evening demonstrated this laudable achievement did not go unnoticed.

A certain essential character has been (perhaps purposefully) omitted until now—William Joyner’s aging Don Jose. Although Joyner has an impressive instrument, and his journey as a character was impressive (and in Act IV, particularly disturbing), he struggled with the uppermost pitches of the role consistently throughout the opera. His clear, full tone sometimes became strained as it seemed he was forcing the extremes of the role out. However, in moments of relaxation—particularly in the beginning of “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” there was a tender beauty and elegance as each musical line grew into the next phrase. This contrast, unfortunately, made the moments of vocal stress more evident and uncomfortable.

Overall, director Candace Evans’s choices in the production, although not revolutionary, were strong and helped to tell each character’s story in a meaningful way. I was interested in the choice of using an oversized rosary to serve as a symbol for the love of Don Jose’s mother. (Michaëla gives Don Jose the rosary when telling him of her impending death; later he uses it to strangle Carmen.) Although the symbolism did feel fairly heavy-handed at the end, the use of the rosary made Carmen’s death and Don Jose’s moral fall distinctly horrifying—perhaps the effect that Evans was looking for. Disney? I think not.
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Praised as “achingly beautiful” and “enchanting,” soprano Megan Steigerwald has appeared as Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica), Mabel (Pirates of Penzance), Michaela (Cover; Carmen), as the title character in scenes from Patience, and in the NYC premiere of Jeremy Beck’s Review at the Center for Contemporary Opera. Theater credits include the Helen Hayes award nominated production of Henry VIII for the Folger Theatre, in which she created the role of Mary I, Irene Molloy (Hello Dolly!) and Katie Yoder (Plain and Fancy: 25th Anniversary Cast) at the Round Barn Theater, and in The Lost Colony (Waterside Theater). In 2010 Ms. Steigerwald made her international debut with the Plauen-Zwickau Symphony Orchestra as a soprano soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elias. She received a B.A in Vocal Performance and honors in English Literature from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, and an M.M in Vocal Performance at James Madison University, where she studied with Brenda Witmer. 2011-2012 holds a guest artist appearance at Sweet Briar College, and a move to Vienna, to study music and German (and to work on her inner Maria von Trapp as an au pair!). She is a proud member of Phi Beta Kappa, and previous teachers include Dorothy Maddison, and Marcia Thom.