Directorial Debut: ‘Carmen’ at Minnesota Opera in May 2022

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It's the most creative, colorful and meticulously crafted "Carmen" among the several I've experienced. Bursting with imagination, it's full of supremely strong singing, deeply involving portrayals, terrific dance interludes and an Elias Grandy-led orchestra that makes familiar tunes sound fresh again.

From the Director’s Perspective

“I loved every moment of directing Carmen- every aspect of it- working with the set designer, choosing fabrics with the costume designer, working on a lighting design, the surtitles, creating story beats for ALL characters- and directing some of my voice students- pure joy!”

“Rather than minimize the cultural appropriation of Bizet’s music, stage director Denyce Graves leans into the Romani aspect of the plot, highlighting the oppressed group’s humanity by showing their deep sense of community…”