Carmen | First Coast Opera 2025-2026 Season

Wednesday, December 31 at 7:30pm

Friday, January 2 at 2:00pm

Sunday, January 4 at 2:00pm

Lewis Auditorium at Flager College

14 Granada St.

St. Augustine, FL 32084

Adults: $90, $75, $45

Students: $20*

Group rates available

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A favorite of opera fans worldwide, Carmen features some of opera's most well-known music and characters. FCO's most ambitious production to date, this company premiere will be led by conductor Curtis Tucker and stage director Mark Freiman (The Barber of Seville). From the fiery rhythms of the "Habanera" to the unforgettable "Toreador Song," experience the music, romance, and raw emotion that have captivated audiences for generations.

🪭 Fully staged with orchestra, chorus, and children's chorus

🪭 Sung in French with projected English supertitles

Make it a Night to Remember

🥂 New Year's Eve

Stroll among three million sparkling lights before the performance, enjoy the complimentary champagne in the lobby, and experience the passion of Carmen live on stage.

🖼️ First Friday Art Walk

On the first Friday of every month, local art galleries are open to the public in the evening. After attending our Carmen matinee, stroll the local galleries to see their new art exhibits and meet artists at hosted receptions. Visit the St. Augustine Art Association website for more information and a map of participating galleries in the historic district.

✨Nights of Lights

Begin with a matinee performance, savor dinner at one of St. Augustine's acclaimed restaurants, and conclude your evening immersed in the city’s illuminated streets, plazas, and waterfront.

plan

Act 1 – A public square in Seville

A company of dragoons is lounging in the plaza. The officer on guard, Moralès, flirts with Micaela, a country girl who has arrived looking for the brigadier Don José. Intimidated, Micaela leaves before José arrives. Girls from the cigarette factory come out for their noon break, followed by the gypsy Carmen. To the admiring men, she sings about the fickleness and danger of love. Piqued by José’s indifference, she throws a flower at him, taunting him. Micaela returns to give José a message and letter from his mother, then she modestly withdraws. An uproar in the factory leads to accusations that Carmen injured another worker. Zuniga, José’s captain, charges José to guard Carmen before she goes to prison. She promises José a passionate rendezvous at Lillas Pastia’s inn outside Seville if he lets her go. José is torn, but ultimately agrees to free her. He is demoted and imprisoned for his action.

Act II – The Inn of Lillas Pastia

Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercedes dance and revel in their gypsy life. The bullfighter Escamillo arrives, recounts his adventures in the bullring, and becomes enamored of Carmen. All leave except the three women who remain to plot a smuggling expedition with Remendado and Dancairo; except that Carmen refuses to go, citing her new found affection for José, who arrives having been released from prison. Carmen dances for him but, when José insists he must return to camp, she questions his love. José counters that his passion for her survived his prison stay, producing the dried flower she once threw at him. Carmen insists that he prove his love by joining their band of smugglers. He refuses, but when Zuniga arrives hoping for a tryst with Carmen, the two men fight. The gypsies disarm the situation, but José’s only option is now to desert the army and join the gypsies.

INTERMISSION

Act III – A mountain pass

The smugglers and gypsies have set up camp. José still adores Carmen but has grown jealous of her, and she is tiring of him. Frasquita and Mercedes read their happy fortunes in the cards, but when Carmen deals, she reads only death. The band sets off for a smuggling expedition, leaving José to guard the camp. Micaela approaches in search of José, but hides when Escamillo arrives looking for Carmen. Escamillo and José duel, but are interrupted by Carmen and the returning smugglers. The bullfighter leaves after issuing an invitation to the bullfight in Seville, and the others are about to resume their activities when Micaela is discovered. She reveals to José that his mother is dying, and he leaves with her after warning Carmen that they will meet again.

Act IV – Outside the bullring in Seville

Vendors and spectators anticipate the bullfight. Escamillo arrives with Carmen, and the two vow their love to each other. Carmen’s friends warn her that José lurks about, but she shows no fear.

As all retreat inside the bullfighting ring, a disheveled and agitated José confronts Carmen, pleading her to return to him. She refuses. As Escamillo’s triumph is heard in the bullring, Carmen’s demise comes at José’s hands.

Ticket holders are invited to join us in the Lewis Auditorium one hour before the opera performance begins for a free, pre-show talk discussing upcoming production. Our pre-show talks allow you the unique opportunity to learn more about the historical context of the opera, the music that makes it a classic, and the creators behind each masterpiece. Arrive early for the opportunity to enhance your opera-going experience, mingle with your fellow operagoers, and be among the first to hear facts exclusive to First Coast Opera productions.

PARKING

Parking is not available at the venue. Parking meters, lots, garage, and park-and-ride are available throughout the historic district. For parking maps and information, visit: https://www.citystaug.com/498/Parking

St. Johns County residents can receive a parking discount by applying and registering their vehicle license plates in advance through ParkStAug.com.

ACCESSIBILITY

Audio Description

First Coast Opera is proud to enhance inclusivity by offering Audio Description narration for audience members with low vision or blindness at its main stage performances. This initiative ensures that everyone can fully enjoy the magic of live opera.

Using their own smartphone and headset, attendees can access an app to hear real-time verbal descriptions of key visual elements, including actions, settings, costumes, and facial expressions.

Reservations Required
To ensure a narrator is available, advance reservations for Audio Description are required two weeks in advance of our main stage performances. For more information or to reserve a narrator, contact FCOpera@gmail.com.