Anchorage Daily News

Conductor Sara Jobin set a fast pulse with the first measure at Saturday night's opening of Anchorage Opera's production of "Carmen." Her tight, fast tempos worked well in the introductions to the first and last acts and the "Toreador song" but tended to bulldoze through the gentler music, as in the introduction to Act 3.

It was an intentionally unsentimental approach, seeking out the adamant intransigence that lies at the heart of tragedy, and was evident even in the traditional sweet spots, "La fleur que tu m'avais jette" and Micaela's Act 3 aria.

Kathryn Allyn's take on the title role was, perhaps accordingly, more arid than passionate. She sang easily and convincingly yet kept her distance from anyone or anything that might claim her love or limit her freedom. Her "Habanera" was not so much winged flirtation as a cool dissertation on the question: What's love got to do with it?

Christopher Jackson's Don Jose was young and callow. He conveyed the character's hurt and shock but didn't quite convince me that he had it in him to kill. However, his upper range offered delightful listening.

The best performance came from Anton Belov as Escamillo. With a strong voice and instinctual command of a scene that is both graceful and forceful, he raised the energy level whenever he was onstage.

The experience of Jaunelle Celaire showed in her portrayal of Micaela, with a firm and clear characterization, different from the simple country maid of most productions -- wiser, in keeping with the thrust of the show -- but no less valid.

Local favorites Anastasia Jamieson, Marlene Bateman, John Fraser and Andrew Sweeney presented the parts of Carmen's friends and conspirators with liveliness and musical accuracy, Fraser being a particularly animated standout as Dancairo. Other Anchorage singers -- Christopher More and Kyle Gantz -- ably handled the parts of soldiers Morales and Zuniga.

Francesca Callow's realistic and visually weighty sets worked effectively to ground the drama. Director Cynthia Edwards' decision to move the time of the action to the Spanish Civil War was reflected in details like the occasional fascist salute and a poster of Franco's cool, self-assured visage.

Carmen's Act 1 escape was accompanied by an insurrectionist firefight leaving one soldier dead as the curtain dropped and Zuniga's fate appeared to be certain execution at the hands of Loyalist partisans.

Placing the story in the 20th century made sense from a history buff's standpoint, but there was no resulting shock of contemporaneousness. The events that so ripped the world apart 70 years ago felt quaint and softened when viewed through the fog of history.

Blocking often appeared stiff and inconsistent. But the musicality was mostly of a high order. The adult and children's choruses were agile and full-voiced. The orchestra -- particularly the brass -- did very well, though weariness could be detected by the final act.

Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.

CARMEN, presented by Anchorage Opera, continues with performances at 7 p.m. Wednesday, 8 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday in the Discovery Theatre. Tickets are $35-$105, available by calling 263-2787 or online at CenterTix.net.

The performance runs about three hours with two intermissions.

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