Elric Hooper is no stranger to Carmen. He directed a production by Canterbury Opera in the late 1980s and has been contracted to produce the inaugural production for the new Southern Opera. Given his track record as New Zealand’s foremost theatre director, it is bound to be riveting.
Elric is giving little away at this point, but simply says Carmen will be set in the traditional period, but will have a “filmic” approach.
“I’m going to be working with incredible singers and actors and I want the focus to be on them—like close-ups in a movie.”
“This is the most approachable of all operas and the most marvellous of stories—most people know the story, and nearly every tune in it has become an operatic hit. One of the most famous is the Toreador song.”
The set and costumes for Carmen are being built under the guidance of the company’s new production manager, Rob Peters. Locally-based back stage crew will be engaged for the production.