Published on Thursday, 9 March 2023 at 2:04:11 PM

On Friday, 24 March at 7.30pm, Cummins Theatre hosted a free livestream of Western Australia (WA) Opera’s CARMEN, live from the WACA Ground in Perth.

CARMEN is an opera written in 1875 by French composer Georges Bizet. Set in southern Spain to the backdrop of the 1820 Spanish revolution, CARMEN tells the story of a charismatic woman who charms those around her with her assertive and fiery nature; and Don José, a naïve soldier who falls in love with Carmen, and abandons everything to run away with her.

When their love turns sour, and Carmen leaves him for the wealthy and engaging toreador Escamillo, Don José turns bitter and jealous, and in the final tragic moments of the Opera, begs Carmen to come back to him. She tells him their affair is over, and that she was born free and free she will die. The opera concludes with Don José stabbing Carmen, as the crowd cheers for a bull fight in the distance.

WA Opera brought the tragic story to life on a stage with more than 150 performers, including some of Australia’s finest singers, as well as tremendous local talent from the Western Australian Opera Chorus, the WAO Children’s Chorus and the full might of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. It was truly a spectacular show with fireworks and all, and the magic was not lost on screen.

It was a wonderful night out for all who attended. Many thanks to WA Opera and Lotterywest for facilitating the regional livestream and making this event at Cummins Theatre possible.

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