Carmen

Love hurts. Lust kills.

May 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, & 17, 2026
McCaw Hall

Overview

Three acts of exquisite earworms and engaging action”

– The Seattle Times

Music by Georges Bizet
Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

One of the world's most popular operas ever! The irresistible Carmen captivates the eyes of every man she meets, including the lovesick soldier Don José. As he forsakes his military duty, his fiancée, and the law, his admiration becomes uncontrollable obsession and Carmen leaves him for prestige and freedom. Bizet's famous music accompanies a lethal dance of lust, love, and survival that only stops when the struggle for freedom ends.

"Opera's guilty pleasure" (The Seattle Times) returns in a "gorgeous production" (Seattle Magazine) featuring Tacoma native, mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, whose Carmen is "young, sexy, vibrant, and dangerous" (Opera Today), and the "bewitchingly lustrous" (The New Zealand Herald) voice of mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke.

Available now with 2025/26 season tickets.
Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, June 17.

Performance Information

McCaw Hall

In French with English subtitles

Evening performances at 7:30 PM. Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM.

Performance Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes including 2 intermissions

Movie-Style Rating: PG-13

Accessibility Offerings

Audio Described Performance: Sunday, May 10

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Cast

Sasha Cooke

Carmen

Mezzo-soprano

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Carmen, Carmen (‘26)
Hometown: College Station, TX

Previously at Seattle Opera: Hansel, Hansel and Gretel (‘16)
Seattle Opera Debut: Meg Page, Falstaff (‘10)

Seattle Opera Young Artist: 2006/07

Engagements: Marguerite, La Damnation de Faust (Bard Festival); Emilie Ekdahl, Fanny and Alexander (La Monnaie de Munt); Venus, Tannhäuser (Houston Grand Opera); Soloist, Mahler’s Second Symphony (San Francisco Symphony); Recital Soloist, Shostakovich’s From Jewish Folk Poetry (Carnegie Hall); Recitalist, Love Letters (Wigmore Hall)

Last updated: January 2025

Sasha Cooke

Carmen

May 2, 8, 10, & 16

J'Nai Bridges

Carmen

Mezzo-soprano

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Carmen,Carmen (‘26)
Hometown: Tacoma, WA

Previously at Seattle Opera: Dido, Les Troyens in Concert (’25)
Seattle Opera Debut: Delilah, Samson and Delilah in Concert (’23)

Engagements: Lucinda, Intelligence (Houston Grand Opera); Soloist, Stabat Mater (New York Philharmonic); Mezzo-soprano, El Niño (Metropolitan Opera); Carmen, Carmen (Hamburg State Opera, Arena di Verona, Dutch National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari); Nefertiti, Akhnaten (Metropolitan Opera); Soloist, Still and Negrón with Gustavo Dudamel (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Last Updated: January 2024

J'Nai Bridges

Carmen

May 3, 9, 13, & 17

Matthew Cairns

Don José

Tenor

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Don José, Carmen (‘26)
Seattle Opera Debut
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Engagements: Ismaele, Nabucco, Tambourmajor, Wozzeck (Canadian Opera Company); Froh, Das Rheingold (Opéra national de Paris); Soloist, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Orchestre Métropolitain, Vancouver Symphony); Leonard (cover), The Hours (Metropolitan Opera)

Last updated: January 2025

Matthew Cairns

Don José

Seattle Opera Debut
May 2, 8, 10, & 16

Ryan Capozzo

Don José

Tenor

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Don José, Carmen (‘26)
Seattle Opera Debut
Hometown: Huntington Station, NY

Engagements: Prince, Rusalka (Gran Teatre del Liceu); Don José, Carmen (Schauspiel Zürich); The Voice of a Young Man, Die Frau ohne Schatten (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Albert, The Makropulos Case (Scottish Opera)

Last updated: January 2025

Ryan Capozzo

Don José

Seattle Opera Debut
May 3, 9, 13, & 17

Christian Pursell

Escamillo

Baritone

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Escamillo, Carmen (‘26)
Seattle Opera Debut
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA

Engagements: The Prosecutor, Blind Injustice (MASTERVOICES); Adjudicator, The Tongue & The Lash (The Town Hall); Aman, Ester (Haymarket Opera); Thomas, This House (Opera Theatre St. Louis); Sciarrone, Tosca (Metropolitan Opera); Leoporello, Don Giovanni (Cincinnati Opera)

Last updated: January 2025

Christian Pursell

Escamillo

Seattle Opera Debut
May 2, 8, 10, & 16

Benjamin Taylor

Escamillo

Baritone

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Escamillo, Carmen (‘26)
Seattle Opera Debut
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Engagements: Moralès, Carmen (Metropolitan Opera); Jake, Porgy and Bess (Washington National Opera); Jan, Breaking the Waves (Detroit Opera); Paolo, Simon Boccanegra (Opera Philadelphia); Marcello, La bohème (Arizona Opera); Figaro, The Barber of Seville (Madison Opera)

Last updated: January 2025

Benjamin Taylor

Escamillo

Seattle Opera Debut
May 3, 9, 13, & 17

Kathleen O'Mara

Micaëla

Soprano

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Micaëla, Carmen (‘26)
Seattle Opera Debut
Hometown: Fort Washington, PA

Engagements: Helmwige, Die Walküre (Teatro alla Scala); Berta, The Barber of Seville (Metropolitan Opera); Mimì, La bohème (San Diego Opera); Duchess Christina, Galileo Galilei (Opera Theatre of St. Louis); Soprano, Carmen and Carnival with Dudamel (LA Philharmonic)

Last updated: January 2025

Kathleen O'Mara

Micaëla

Seattle Opera Debut
May 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, & 17

Darren Drone

Zuniga

Baritone

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Zuniga, Carmen (‘26)
Hometown: Sherwood, AR

Previously at Seattle Opera: Edmund Watkins, Jubilee (‘24)
Seattle Opera Debut: Baron Douphol, La traviata (‘23)

Engagements: Adult James/Foreman, Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Metropolitan Opera); Belcore, The Elixir of Love (Florentine Opera Company); Marcello, La bohème (Glimmerglass Festival); Falstaff, Falstaff (Portland Opera); Tonio, Pagliacci (Utah Opera); Germont, La traviata (Berkshire Opera Festival)

Last updated: August 2024

Darren Drone

Zuniga

May 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, & 17

Ilya Silchukou

Moralès

Baritone
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Sciarrone, Tosca
At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Moralès, Carmen

Hometown: Minkus, Belarus
Seattle Opera Debut
Engagements: Jager, Rusalka (Teatro alla Scala); Prince Yeletzky, Queen of Spades (Sofia Opera); Dandini, La Cenerentola (Sofia Opera, Opéra National de Montpellier); Simeon, L’Enfant Prodigue (Tacoma Opera); Belcore, L’elisir d’amore (Théâtre du Capitole)

Last Updated: May 2024

Ilya Silchukou

Moralès

May 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, & 17

Melody Wilson

Mercédès

Mezzo-soprano

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Gaea, Daphne in Concert (‘26); Mercédès, Carmen (‘26)

Hometown: Newark, DE
Seattle Opera Debut: Olga, Eugene Onegin (‘20)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Fricka, Das Rheingold (‘23)

Engagements: Charmian (cover), Antony and Cleopatra, Olga (cover), Eugene Onegin (San Francisco Opera); Cousin Blanche (cover), Champion (Metropolitan Opera); Rossweisse, Die Walküre (Dallas Symphony); Mary, Flying Dutchman (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Hermia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Atlanta Opera); Amneris, Aida (Union Avenue Opera)

Last updated: January 2025

Melody Wilson

Mercédès

May 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, & 17

Creative Team

Ludovic Morlot

Conductor

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Conductor, Carmen
Hometown: Lyon, France

Judith Fong Conductor Emeritus of Seattle Symphony

Previously at Seattle Opera: Conductor, Les Troyens in Concert (‘25); Das Rheingold (’23); Samson and Delilah in Concert ('23); Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre (’21)
Seattle Opera Debut: Beatrice and Benedict (’18)

Engagements: Music Director (Barcelona Symphony Orchestra); Conductor Emeritus (Seattle Symphony); Associate Artist (BBC Philharmonic); Guest Conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Danish National Symphony)

Last Updated: January 2024

Ludovic Morlot

Conductor

Paul Curran

Stage Director & Choreographer

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Stage Director, Carmen (‘26)
Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland

Seattle Opera Debut: Director, Carmen (‘19)
Engagements: Stage Director, Tristan und Isolde (San Francisco Opera); Die Fledermaus (The Grange Festival); La fanciulla del West (Teatro Comunale di Bologna); La Clemenza di Tito, Ariadne auf Naxos (Teatro la Fenice)

Last updated: February 2025

Paul Curran

Stage Director & Choreographer

Ashlee Naegle

Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Designer

At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer, Pagliacci; Jubilee; Lucidity; Les Troyens in Concert; The Magic Flute; Tosca

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Seattle Opera Debut: Hair and Makeup Intern, Giulio Cesare (2007)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Supplemental Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer, Das Rheingold ('23); Alcina ('23); X: The Life & Times of Malcolm X ('24); The Barber of Seville ('24)

Ashlee Naegle made a name for herself early on in her career by mastering the dying art of wig building. She created and designed for several companies around town until the Seattle Opera created an in-house Hair and Makeup Designer position for her in 2017. During her time as the in-house Hair and Makeup Designer, she has built a sizable wig collection, built a department, and set high standards for wigs, hair and makeup. With each production, her designs are custom built for the performers and their characters to create a believable façade for the audience as well as complement the costumes and production as a whole.

Last Updated: July 2024

Ashlee Naegle

Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Designer

Michaella Calzaretta

Chorus Master

Chorus Master

Hometown: Muscatine, IA
Seattle Opera debut: The Elixir of Love (’22)
Michaella Calzaretta made her Seattle Opera debut in 2022 as the company’s new chorus master and head of music staff. Acclaimed for her high standards and superb preparation skills, Calzaretta oversees all musical activities at the company and prepares the chorus for main stage productions. In January, the chorus embarked on their immensely successful first-ever tour to Mt. Vernon and Vashon Island. Recent praise includes “Her chorus was one of the stars... the voices were radiant” (Bachtrack) and “... the singers are both zesty and accurate (they’re also extremely nimble)” (The Seattle Times). Calzaretta is a doctoral candidate in choral conducting at Indiana University.

Last Updated: July 2024

Michaella Calzaretta

Chorus Master

Staging Staff

Jonathan Moore

Production Stage Manager

Production Stage Manager

Hometown: Houston, TX
Seattle Opera Mainstage Debut: Les Troyens in Concert (’25)
Jonathan Moore (he/him) is thrilled to be a part of the Seattle Opera Production Team as Production Stage Manager. He has primarily worked in opera and ballet, including, most recently, a 4-season stint at the Houston Ballet. He has also stage managed for plays, musicals, a Fringe Festival, concerts, and a drag show. Favorite projects include a tour to Tokyo, an opera in a hot spring, and several operas in barns. He has worked across the country, including in New York, San Diego, San Antonio, Steamboat Springs, and Logan, UT.

Last Updated: February 2025

Jonathan Moore

Production Stage Manager

Quinn Chase

Assistant Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Pagliacci, Jubilee, The Magic Flute, Tosca

Hometown: Coventry, RI
Seattle Opera Debut: Il trovatore ('19)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Jubilee (‘24); Pagliacci (‘24); X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X ('24); Das Rheingold ('23); A Thousand Splendid Suns ('23)
Engagements: Blithe Spirit, Sanctuary City, Selling Kabul, Teenage Dick (Seattle Repertory Theatre); A Christmas Carol (ACT Contemporary Theatre); Everything is Illuminated (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

Last Updated: January 2025

Quinn Chase

Assistant Stage Manager

Jamie Kranz

Assistant Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager
At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: The Pirates of Penzance (‘25); Carmen (‘26)

Hometown: Mason City, IA
Seattle Opera Debut: The Marriage of Figaro ('22)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Pagliacci (‘24); Das Rheingold (‘23); The Elixir of Love (‘22)
Engagements: After Midnight, Bye Bye Birdie, Waitress (5th Avenue Theatre); Legally Blonde (Village Theatre); Blithe Spirit (Seattle Rep); POTUS (ACT Contemporary Theatre)