Zambello to Return as SFO Stage Director

As an undergraduate I had a fellow student from New York that was passionate about the Metropolitan Opera. He once decided that the major operas aligned with the first three letters of the alphabet: Aida, La bohème, and Carmen! The last of those three operas has been selected by San Francisco Opera (SFO) to conclude its fall season. The production will be a revival of staging by Francesca Zambello, based on a production shared by the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the Norwegian National Opera and shared in the United States with the Washington National Opera. To put my cards on the table, so to speak, I saw that production in the War Memorial Opera House twice in June of 2019. On that occasion I wrote of Zambello’s approach that “it was the angels, rather than the devils, that resided in the details.”

Benjamin Manis, who will conduct Carmen for his SFO debut (photograph by Natalie Gaynor, courtesy of SFO)

As might be expected, there will be a cast of “new faces.” The title role will be sung by mezzo Eve-Maud Hubeaux, who will be making her United States debut. Tenor Jonathan Tetelman will sing the role of Don José for the first time in all but one of the eight performances, the other tenor being Adler Fellow Thomas Kinch, who will also be singing the role for the first time. José’s “rival” (due to Carmen’s determination to avoid any serious commitment) is the toreador Escamillo, whose role will be sung by bass-baritone Christian van Horn. The conductor will be Benjamin Manis, making his SFO debut.

This revival production will be given eight performances, six beginning at 7:30 p.m. on November 13, 16, 19, 22, 26, and 29, with matinee performances beginning at 2 p.m. on November 24 and December 1. Ticket prices range from $32 to $438; and, depending on seating location, there is a facility fee of either $2 or $3 per ticket. All tickets may be purchased in the outer lobby of the War Memorial Opera House at 301 Van Ness Avenue or by calling the Box Office at 415-864-3330. Box Office hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Tuesday evening performance on November 19; the charge will be $27.50. Web pages are available both for tickets to the Opera House and for the livestream.