If you’ve seen Carmen before, you may have noticed that Micaëla wears a blue dress. Talk to me about the significance of color in Carmen. Photos by Erica Norris and Steven Pisano.
"Probably the most complicated costume in this production is Carmen's Act IV, Flamenco-inspired dress" Davis says. And then for our other Carmen, Ginger Costa-Jackson, we will be making costumes from scratch. In our upcoming show, Zanda Švēde will wear the Carmen costumes that came from Opera Philadelphia. But often, we have to provide two separate wardrobes for each cast. Sometimes singers who alternate in a role will share an item such as a piece of jewelry or a less-fitted garment like a cloak. So with a co-production, we start with an existing set of costumes, then we look to add to it as needed, both from our own stock, and then purchase additional garments and accessories that work with the flavor of the show if needed.įor the major roles like Carmen, many companies have one cast. Our Carmen is a co-production with Opera Philadelphia. Talk to me about your process for getting these Carmen costumes ready for the stage. With costuming a show that takes place in the 20th century, we can look at photographs from the time period to see styles or the types of overcoats that were worn, for example. What’s the benefit of costuming an opera set in a real time period versus a more abstract opera? As director of this work, Paul is thinking a lot about the haves, and the have-nots-from the factory workers struggling to make ends meet, to the upper-class in this story without a care in the world. So onstage, you’ll see real clothes vintage pieces (things you may recognize from your own closet if you were alive in the 1950s), and costumes used in Opera Philadelphia's production. Stage Director Paul Curran and his collaborator Gary McCann have set the work in the late 1950s. It’s interesting to be doing this Carmen-it’s definitely new and different from what you saw on our stage last time, in 2011. What’s your favorite thing about the costumes for this show? "But when you see an opera in a time period you recognize, it can offer audiences a closer connection to the story." Bizet set his opera in the 1840s, and the fashions of this time period have an almost comical flair to modern sensibilities, Davis says. This is the 10th time Seattle Opera has presented Carmen, and each time it looks a little different, Davis says. This includes making garments from scratch, modifying or refurbishing existing costumes, and making any modifications that come up before opening night. Every Seattle Opera production takes approximately six weeks to costume from start to finish. Seattle Opera sat down with Costume Director Susan Davis to learn more about the costumes for Carmen, which were envisioned by Gary McCann, Production Designer.
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