Photo Flash: Glimmerglass Festival Opens CARMEN to Sold Out House

The 2011 Glimmerglass Festival, the first under Artistic & General Director Francesca Zambello, opened to a full house July 2 with a new production of Bizet's Carmen.

The 2011 season features strong heroines - and the fiery Carmen is no exception. The role of the independent protagonist is sung by Ginger Costa-Jackson in her role and company debut. Costa-Jackson is an alumna of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Adam Diegel returns to Glimmerglass as Don José after his performance last summer as Cavaradossi in Tosca, for which he was praised for his "smooth and darkly tinged voice." Keith Miller sings the role of Escamillo. Miller was recently seen as Sarastro in The Magic Flute at Seattle Opera, and has recently performed as the Bonze in Madame Butterfly at Washington National Opera. Anya Matanovi? sings the role of Micaëla in her company debut.

Members of the Young Artists Program complete the cast. Glimmerglass Young Artist alumni Aaron Sorenson and Lindsay Russell return for their second season. Sorenson sings the role of Zuniga while Russell sings Frasquita. Making their Glimmerglass debuts are Wes Mason and Cynthia Hanna, singing the roles of Morales and Mercedes, respectively.

The production is directed by Anne Bogart, who serves as the Artistic Director for the Siti Company and whose work was last seen at Glimmerglass in 2008 with Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Glimmerglass Music Director David Angus conducts.

"Everything that Anne Bogart touches is transformed into something exceptional and different, so I am thrilled I will be doing Carmen with her," Angus said. "We can expect a completely new approach to the work, and I am sure we will discover many new layers of the story and a very strong staging. When this is combined with the Glimmerglass tradition of bringing in the newest generation of young stars, this will be a Carmen worth traveling a long way to see."

James Schuette, who designed costumes for Bogart's Glimmerglass production in 2008, designs sets and costumes. 2010 Tony Award nominee Robert Wierzel, who has designed more than 35 productions for Glimmerglass, designs lighting. Siti Company member Barney O'Hanlon choreographs while Peter Macklin is the fight coordinator.

The production runs through August 23. The performance runs approximately two-and-a-half hours, including one intermission. Bizet's Carmen runs in repertory with three other works: Cherubini's Medea, Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun and the world premiere of the double bill featuring Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner's A Blizzard On Marblehead Neck and John Musto and Mark Campbell's Later the Same Evening. The 2011 Festival runs July 2 through August 23. Subscriptions and single tickets for the 2011 Festival are currently on sale. For more information on the 2011 Glimmerglass Festival and performance dates and times, visit www.glimmerglass.org or call the Box Office at (607) 547-2255.

Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes