Opera Colorado Tickets

My wife loved it the music. I couldn't get into the story or empathize with the characters. Sitting in painful seats made it impossible for me to enjoy.

This was my first opera and I was in awe of the incredible voices and talent. I have always heard great things about Carmen and thought this was a great one for the first.

To me, opera is about the performers, orchestra, and scenes. This show did not have scenes. If I had known in advance, I would not have paid my hard-earned money. It was singers and orchestra on stage. Very disappointing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this opra production!! So glad I was able to go.

Music and performers were superb. However, I would prefer to see the traditional staging. I miss the spectacle of big sets to go with big music.

This production was a travesty for the excellent singers who performed in it. The production lacked sets, scene changes, interesting costumes, crowd scenes, etc.; in other words, everything that make "Carmen" one of the most vibrant and exciting operas of all time. It was static and painful to watch. I left at Intermission.

No sets, no appropriate costumes, no staging! Putting the orchestra and a chorus on stage to fill up space! This whole production was phoned in and a huge disappointment especially when Carmen is usually such an enchanting opera!

Did not know this would not be a full production. Was very disappointed. The singing was weak except for Jose's girlfriend--not Carmen. Carmen was weak and surprised she received the part. Also the french was not clear and not easily understood--sounded muddy. This was a cut-rate production--college level. Did not like the use of children in the chorus. You cut cost at my expense, The production was so cheap, it would have been better without any dramatics and the singers stood at podiums and sung. Don't think I'll be attending Opera Colorado again.

I wanted to expose my 13 year old to the pagentry and beauty of the opera and had felt Carmen would be an excellent vehicle to do so. While the music was stirring and voices exceptional, the overall drab staging and lack of active staging led to viewing a concert versus a full opera experience. It came across as being in church. I appreciate creativity, but to charge full price and not disclose the performance would be less theatrical and more of a concert experience was very, very misleading and left a very bad impression and taste. Individuals forget that each performance may be someone's first experience and it can set a tone for whether there will be repeat patrons or not. I'm afraid that after this experience my teen expressed no interest to see another Colorado Opera.

The set up was poor. There was more focus on the orchestra than the singers. It almost seems that there was a lack of direction for the singers as the staging element of the show was a square around the orchestra. No scene elements to clue the audience in as to where the events are happening. It felt like the lady who played Carmen didn't give the solo's her all. This is one of my favorite opera's and I felt let down.

This was our first opera experience , and was a great introduction. The music quality was out of this world. Bravo! The voices were spellbinding, especially Carmen and Michaela. The surprise of the tragic ending was well done reaching the dramatic height that only live theater can reach.

Actors/singers were good and the tickets very cheap. Unfortunately, it wasn't Carmen as we know it. The orchestra was in the middle of the stage. The actors were dressed like in the Americans' 1920' and there was no decor. The show lost all its interest. Prosper Merime and Bizet after him, wrote this story in order to show pictures of the exotic south of Spain to the public. Changing the cloths and not putting any decor just don't make any sense. The cigars were smoking cigarettes instead of making cigars and the Toreador was dressed as a gangster. That was ridiculous. Carmen dies by fire arm... in the south of Spain, where the navaja is all a symbol of passion and death! I really don't understand why the director thought he could make it better than Bizet. Save money maybe... but what is the point to go to the opera if it's not full of unnecessary embellishments and flourishes as Italian, French and Spanish cultures are?

An amazing event filled with singers that surpass extraordinary! Their voices and music take you into the time of place and make you part of the event. My mom was amazed and it was her first time there. She wants to go back!

What an amazing performance. Sandra Eddy is a mezzo-soprano whose singing and acting had me listening to a Carmen recording all weekend to try and recapture her passion and joy performing

Opera is a treat for the ears and the eyes. This production gets an 8 out of 10 for the ears and 0 for the eyes. Please don't do that ever again. Took our grandson (his first opera). He will have to live with that for the rest of his life.

great voices, choreography, the set up was a little unusual but not bad

Enjoyed somewhat the experiment of having the orchestra on stage. Definitely worth it as the arias in Carmen inherently deserve elevating the orchestra from the pit to the stage. But this does come at the immediate expense of the theatrical qualities of the performance. The dullness of the stage, the simplicity of costumes which appeared more modern than usual -- understandably necessary to match the setting, and a chorus in the back instead of extra opera actors leaves you with some to be desired as far as an opera is concerned. Still recommended.

The music was good but the lack of scenery was disappointing. I am used to watching the NY Met productions on HD and while I didn't expect the elaborate settings they have, I did think 6 chairs or boxes didn't do much to set the atmosphere. I think I'll stick to the NY Met in HD in the future.

The orchestra was wonderful. The singing was very good. The production itself left a lot to be desired. It was my first opera and I expected a spectacle. It was like going to see an art exhibit of grand masters and instead seeing some odd modern minimalist art instead. It is still art, but not very impressive. It was interesting that the orchestra received a louder ovation than the cast. The translations shown on the seats were a little thin, though maybe the story line was what was thin. This opera just didn't make me want to see another.

As we all know, Opera Colorado has been struggling financially. Presenting "Carmen" in a minimalist style must have saved a lot of money, or maybe they were able to invest more in the singers. The lead role singer has a wonderful voice, full of color and control, and the woman who sang Micaela was also a pleasure to hear. Don Escamillo was dashing. Don Jose was adequate, although I didn't experience any truly emotional moments from him until the very last scene, which was the best, from a drama standpoint. As I remarked to the lady sitting next to me, that last scene would have been great if it had a stage! Last year, Opera Colorado did Don Giovanni in a 1950's setting and I really enjoyed it. This experiment, of a concert rather than an opera, fell flat, in my opinion.