Carmen at the FEU

The cast of Carmen

Featuring:

Ana Feleo, soprano

Randy Gilongo, tenor

Noel Azcona, baritone

Stephanie Aguilar, soprano

UST Symphony Orchestra

William Barkyhmer, conductor

The FEU Auditorium played host to two Carmens in their Cultural Calendar for the school year 2013-2014 bearing the theme of Debuts and Farewells. The first Carmen to take to the stage was prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, who danced the title role for the last time when her company Ballet Manila presented the ballet Carmen. Less than a couple of months later, Ana Feleo reprised the role of Carmen in the repeat run of the opera by the Lyric Opera of the Philippines.

The Lyric Opera of the Philippines first staged Carmen back in 2012 at the St. Cecilia’s Hall at St. Scholastica’s College, Manila. In this repeat run, Ana Feleo was joined by a mix of returning and new cast members. Reprising their roles once again were Randy Gilongo as Don Jose, and Noel Azcona as Escamillo. But this was the first time that Feleo and Gilongo were paired together for the previous run had them playing alongside different partners. Laurice Guillen once again was at the helm as the stage director. New to the cast was Stephanie Aguilar as Micaela, the UST Symphony Orchestra and conductor William Barkhymer who made his Philippine debut with this production. Completing the main cast were Gereberne Lozada (Mercedes), Patrice Pacis (Frasquita), Pepe Herrera (Dancairo), Nomher Nival (Remendado), Jun Jaranilla (Zuniga) and Greg de Leon (Morales).

This production of Carmen was stripped to the core by having almost a bare stage having only minimal props. This somewhat enabled the audience to focus solely on the performers and also to the music composed by Georges Bizet. For those who are familiar with the music of the opera, they would’ve noticed that the Avec la garde montante that was supposed to be sung by a children’s chorus during the changing of the guards in Act I was omitted in this production. This production may not have been as grand as other operas out there but one thing that they managed to have was the FEU Auditorium’s much improved acoustics. The performers were able to project their voices without the aid of microphones so they were able to focus more on acting and their characters instead of exerting too much effort in order to be heard.

I can only imagine how much of a challenge this Carmen was for conductor William Barkhymer. For one, the orchestra was placed at the back of the stage and not at the pit which is the norm for opera. It probably wasn’t very easy for him to conduct while not facing the singers who were performing on stage right behind his back. This production also didn’t have the opportunity to have a dress rehearsal since the super typhoon Yolanda led to the cancellation of the all important final rehearsals before the curtain rose.

Remarkably, the UST Symphony Orchestra was in tiptop shape, sounding a lot better compared to performances I’ve seen and heard in recent years. Members of the orchestra sacrificed their semester break in order to rehearse for up to five hours a day in preparation for this opera.

But probably the most pleasant surprise of all was the scene stealing presence of popular actress Marian Rivera who came to support her dear friend Ana Feleo. I never expected Marian to be a fan of the opera but she clearly enjoyed watching the show. She was particularly very impressed by Aguilar’s take on Micaela’s showstopping aria Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante during Act III. And in the end, she led in cheering the whole cast and production team during the curtain call.

Carmen was presented by the Lyric Opera of the Philippines and the Far Eastern University’s President’s Committee on Culture.