Carmen

MasterVoices | Orchestra of St. Luke's | Ted Sperling, Conductor

Music by Georges Bizet
Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy
English translation by Sheldon Harnick

Directed by Sammi Cannold
Choreography by Gustavo Zajac

Costume design by Nicole Slaven
Scenic design by Ann Beyersdorfer
Lighting design by Brian Tovar

Running Time:

Act One – 1:20
Intermission – 15 minutes
Act Two – 55 minutes

Our intimate and lyrical English-language staged performance of CARMEN is back! Originally scheduled for April 2020, director Sammi Cannold (Encores’ Evita, Forbes’ 30 Under 30) helms a new cast including Ginger Costa-Jackson as Carmen, Terrence Chin-Loy as Don José, Mikaela Bennett as Micaëla, and John Brancy as Escamillo. Sung in its original Opéra Comique version, with dialogue rather than recitative, our production marks the NY Premiere of this fiery and dramatic translation – written by Broadway legend Sheldon Harnick, originally commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera.

Featuring Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the MasterVoices Chorus conducted by MV Artistic Director Ted Sperling, along with flamenco-infused choreography by Argentinian-born choreographer Gustavo Zajac, get ready for a gorgeous Carmen in all its musical and theatrical glory!

Tickets: Priced from $30 to $175, may be purchased beginning on August 11 online at jazz.org, at the Jazz at Lincoln Center box office, Broadway at 60^th Street, or by calling 212-721-6500.
Ticket holders will need to comply with the venue’s health and safety requirements, which can be found here.

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Artist Bios

Ginger Costa-Jackson, Carmen

Ginger’s upcoming and most recent performances include a return to the A Coruña Opera Festival as Preziosilla in La Forza del Destino, the title role of Carmen for Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the English National Opera, Charlotte in Werther for Grange Park Opera, Musetta in La Boheme for Seattle Opera and Musica Viva Hong Kong, Donna Elvira for Teatro Petruzzelli, Giulietta in Les contes d’Hoffmann for Gran Teatre del Liceu, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte and Cherubino in Le Nozze de Figaro for La Monnaie De Munt, Angelina in La Cenerentola for Seattle Opera, and Despina in Cosi fan tutte for Opéra National de Paris conducted by Philippe Jordan.

She has performed the title role in Carmen for Seattle Opera, San Diego Opera, San Francisco Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival, Tokyo New National Theater, Nashville Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, and Vancouver Opera to name but a few. For the Metropolitan Opera Ginger has performed over 75 performances including Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Lola in Cavelleria Rusticana, Smaridgi in Francesca da Rimini, Mercedes in Carmen, Nancy T’sang/First Secretary in Nixon in China, Pousette in Manon, Wowkle in La fanciulla del West, Eine Theatergarderobiere/Der Gymnasiast/Ein Groom in Berg’s Lulu, and Myrtale in Thaïs.

Other notable performances include Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte with Seattle Opera (alongside her sister Marina Costa Jackson as Fiordiligi), Maddalena in Rigoletto with LA Opera, Donna Elvira at the Coruna Festival, her debut with the San Francisco Symphony in L’Enfant et la Sortileges, Helène in La Belle Helène with Odyssey Opera, and Rosina in Barbiere di Siviglia in Toulon.

Terrence Chin-Loy, Don José

Terrence is an artist who strives to infuse his work with honesty and simplicity. With his “richly colored voice” (Seen and Heard International), he pairs passionate performance with a full, sweet sound. Terrence opens the 2021-2022 season in his solo debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones. Thereafter, he returns to Arizona Opera for his second season as a Marion Roose Pullin Resident Artist where he will sing Henrik Egerman in A Little Night Music and Ferrando in Così fan tutte.

Terrence is a graduate of Indiana University, where he received a Performer Diploma. He also holds degrees from Yale University and Mannes College. He is a 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions National Semifinalist.

Mikaela Bennett, MICAËLA

Mikaela Bennett is a graduate of The Juilliard School and is celebrated as a singer and actress for her work on stage and in the concert hall. She most recently appeared as a featured soloist in Daniel Fish’s concert conception of “The Most Happy Fella” at Bard SummerScape and made her Festival Napa Valley debut as Lauretta in “Gianni Schicchi” under the baton of Kent Nagano. In 2020, Ms. Bennett had the distinct honor to appear as a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel performing ‘Aurora’ written by Wayne Shorter. In 2019, Mikaela was honored by Lincoln Center with a ‘Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists’ and in May she made her critically acclaimed debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago playing ‘Maria’ in “West Side Story”. Following a sold-out run in Chicago, Ms. Bennett starred in the title role in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” at the MUNY and later returned to the BBC Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra performing music from the Warner Bros film studio. To cap off an eventful year, Mikaela sang the role of Mary Wintergreen in MasterVoices’ concert production of Gershwin’s “Let ‘Em Eat Cake” at Carnegie Hall, music directed and conducted by Ted Sperling.

John Brancy, ESCAMILLO

Grammy Award-winning baritone John Brancy is known for his intense musicality and communicative power. Hailed by the New York Times as “a vibrant, resonant presence,” Mr. Brancy is equally at home in staged opera, concert performance, and recital, with a wide-ranging repertoire that includes classical, contemporary world premieres, and musical theater.

Mr. Brancy is a native of New Jersey. He has a B.A. and Graduate Diploma in Vocal Performance from The Juilliard School in New York.

Nicole Fernandez-Coffaro, Frasquita

Nicole Fernandez-Coffaro is a multi-faceted artist, celebrated for her rich, warm soprano, her versatility, and her powerful, connected performances. Nicole has made her Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and NY City Center debuts as a soprano soloist under the direction of Ted Sperling. She sings frequently throughout NYC, during which time she’s worked with some of the country’s finest new music composers and creatives including Adam Guettel, Ricky Ian Gordon, Marisa Michelson, David Bloom, and Zak Winokur.

Nicole is a 2021 Lotte Lenya Competition finalist, and has performed in theatres throughout the country, enjoying favorite roles such as Martha Jefferson in 1776, and covering Eva Perón in the first U.S. all-Spanish production of Evita. Most recently, Nicole joined the cast of this summer’s 92Y Lyrics and Lyricists series and performed in the workshop of Tom Jones and Joseph Thalken’s Harold and Maude the musical, directed by Victoria Clark.

Bilingual in English/Spanish, she is passionate about her Cuban culture, and cultivating diversity en el teatro. Nicole is a native of Orange County, California, and graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in theatre performance, and a minor in classical music.

Thank you to Ted, Vicki, Adam, and Julie. @nicolecoffaro

Kimberly Sogioka, mercedes

Praised by Opera (UK) as “…the most opulent female sound on the stage…” mezzo-soprano, Kimberly Sogioka, is drawing much attention as an exciting artist on opera and concert stages.

Most recently, Kimberly covered the role of Phuang Tran in The Rift as part of Washington National Opera’s 50^th anniversary celebration at The Kennedy Center and performed the role of Madison in Intermountain Opera’s Montana Mikado and sang the title role in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges with Pacific Opera Project.

Prior engagements include performing as Nicklausse in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Opera Orlando, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Opera in the Heights and Pacific Opera Project in their Japanese and English language production, and as a soloist in Heart Mountain Suite with the Whatcom Chorale and also with the Yakima Symphony, Vivaldi’s Gloria with MidAmerica Productions at Carnegie Hall. She also performed with Symphony Silicon Valley in Bacalov’s Misa Tango, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at a gala for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation at Union Station in Washington D.C.. Other recent engagements include Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Grand Rapids, and productions with Michigan Opera Theater as Siébel in Faust and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, which she also performed with Northern Lights Music Festival. She also performed the role of Stephano in Roméo et Juliette with Opera Tampa as well as in a new co-production with Opera Carolina, Virginia Opera, Toledo Opera, Lyric Opera Baltimore, and Opera Grand Rapids.

A frequent collaborator with composers on new music projects, Ms. Sogioka created the role of Nurse 3 in The Metropolitan Opera and English National Opera workshop of Michael Torke’s Senna, and The Metropolitan Opera workshop of Scott Wheeler’s The Sorrow’s of Frederick, collaborated with Clint Borzoni in his operas Margot Alone in the Light and Antinous and Hadrian, workshops of Bruce Wolosoff’s The Great Good Thing and Sarah Mattox’s Heart Mountain, and also with Stephen Andrew Taylor in scenes from his opera Paradises Lost with Operamission.

In demand as a concert artist, appearances have included the west-coast première of Mack Wilberg’s Requiem, Irving Fine’s The Hourglass and An Immorality by Copland with The National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall, Das Lied von der Erde with the Orchestra Insonica at Paul Hall, as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the Greenwich Choral Society and Mozart’s Requiem with the Camerata New York.  Ms. Sogioka also collaborated with renowned harpsichordist Kenneth Cooper, in selections from Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium, and performed as part of his master class series for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Ms. Sogioka was the first-place winner of the Rochester Oratorio Society’s Classical Idol Competition, as well as winner of the Audience Favorite Award and second place winner in the New Jersey State Opera Alfredo Silipigni Vocal Competition.  She made her off-Broadway début in the New York Musical Theatre Festival singing the role of the Evangelist Narrator in Gerald Fried’s Omnia ad Dei Gloriam (or Les the Least Straightens the Lord).

William Ferguson, Remendado

A native of Richmond, Virginia, tenor William Ferguson has performed with The Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Australia, New York City Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Central City Opera, The Dallas Opera, Opéra Festival de Quebec, Opera Omaha, Opera Memphis, Virginia Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Palau de les Arts Reina Sophia in Valencia, Spain, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Sicily, and Salzburger Landestheater in Austria.  In roles including Candide, Caliban (Tempest), Truffaldino (Love for Three Oranges), Jupiter (Semele), Male Chorus (Rape of Lucretia), George (Our Town), Mr. Snow (Carousel), Eisenstein (Fledermaus), and Louis Ironson (Angels in America). He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from The Juilliard School.

A passionate concert and recital performer, Ferguson has appeared with the symphony orchestras of the BBC, Boston, City of Birmingham, Handel & Haydn Society, Houston, Milwaukee, Mostly Mozart Festival, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, as well as Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the National Symphony, the American Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (Netherlands) among others; all in repertoire including Handel’s Messiah, more than 50 Bach Cantatas as well as Christmas Oratorio, B-Minor Mass, St. Matthew and St. John Passions; Britten’s War Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mozart’s Requiem, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Additional concerts include Bard Music Festival, Marilyn Horne Foundation, Marlboro Music, New York Festival of Song, and Young Concert Artists.  Awards include the Alice Tully Debut Recital Award and First Place in the Oratorio Society of New York Competition.

Michael Kelly, Morales/Dancaïro

Baritone and Librettist Michael Kelly has been praised as “expressive and dynamic” and “vocally splendid,” having recently performed with the Santa Fe Opera, Carnegie Hall, with New York City Opera, the New World Symphony, Seattle Symphony and the Cincinnati May Festival. He also performed Bernstein’s Mass with the Mostly Mozart Festival under the baton of Louis Langrée, and gave the world premier of a new chamber work by David Del Treidici at NYC’s Symphony Space. In recent seasons he has been heard in Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin with celebrated guitarist David Leisner, The role of Hannah Before in Kaminsky’s As One, the role of Figaro in The Barber of Seville, Papageno in Mozart’s Magic Flute, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, and the title role in the NY premiere of Carlyle Floyd’s newest opera Prince of Players. As a librettist, Michael’s poetry has been set by composers John Glover and Ben Moore, and he has upcoming projects that include creating adaptations and original libretti for Laura Kaminsky, Tobias Picker and Kamala Sankaram.

He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Juilliard, and was a member of the Opernstudio at Opernhaus Zürich.

Leo Radosavljevic, Zuniga

Poised for a breakthrough career on the international operatic stage, bass-baritone Leo Radosavljevic is sought after around the world for his “excellent musicianship” and “expansive delivery”. A native of Chicago, Leo spent his childhood singing in the Lyric Opera Children’s Chorus and studying piano with his father. He then attended The Juilliard School where he received a bachelors degree with scholastic distinction and a masters degree. During his studies he performed many operatic roles such as Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tobia Mill in La Cambiale di Matrimonio, and gave the U.S. premiere performances of Willi Graf in Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen!. Since his studies, he has been heard with Opera Colorado as Bonze in Madama Butterfly, The New Philharmonic as Don Alfonso in Così fan Tutte, Opera Theater of Saint Louis as Manders in Regina, Teatro Nuovo as Orbazzano in Tancredi, and covered the role of the King in Aida with Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is the 3rd Prize winner of the 8th Klaudia Taev Competition in Estonia, Grand Prize winner of the 2017 Bel Canto Competition, and was a Regional Finalist in the 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. On the concert stage, he has appeared as soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Metropolis Symphony, The Orchestra Now, New Juilliard Ensemble, and Juilliard415, with whom he performed Telemann’s rarely heard Die Tageszeiten to high acclaim from The New York Times, as well as made a studio recording in Vancouver with the Canadian Broadcasting Company. He has also appeared regularly as an art song recitalist at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago and Carnegie Hall in New York. Leo is a proud recipient of the 2020 Marcella Kochańska Sembrich Award from the American Council for Polish Culture. In the summer of 2021, Leo will returned to Teatro Nuovo to cover Bartolo in their highly anticipated production of Il barbiere di Siviglia, as well as perform the roles of Colline in Puccini’s La Boheme with the Savannah Voice Festival, and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Opera in Williamsburg. This year he also heard in a workshop of Proximity (premieres 2023) at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Leo began 2022 with a company debut with Opera San Jose, as Zuniga in Carmen.

Featured Dancers

CAMILA CARDONA: a Buenos Aires native, based in New York City is thrilled to be performing Carmen with such a wonderful cast.

Her latest performances include the musicals On Your Feet, en Español (World Premiere) at GALA Washington DC and On your Feet at John W. Engeman Theater in EEUU, “En el 2000”, and fosse revival Cabaretissimo in Mexico City. She has also made on screen appearances in Netflix’s”Who Killed Sarah” and Telemundo’s soap opera “The Queen is Me”, both filmed in Mexico City. In Argentina she performed for UNICEF in Dance for Peace, Romeo & Juliet, and 360º experience La Previa. Camila has trained in countries all over the world such as Mexico, Brazil, and others located in Europe. She is an ARTE XXI and ISD at Point Park University alumn and is grateful to LOLO and LALA (grandparents) for giving her everything in life. She is also proud for being part of Latine community. IG: @cardonacami

LAURA PERALTA began her musical studies at the age of 8, attending the Manhattan School of Music and later the Johns Hopkins University.. She began her dance studies with Omayra Amaya in New York City at the age of 23. Laura has danced for companies including Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, Soledad Barrio y Noche Flamenca, A Palo Seco Flamenco, Nelida Tirado Flamenco, Pasión y Arte, and Juan Siddi Flamenco Theatre. She was a scholarship recipient at the School at Jacob’s Pillow, has taught masterclasses for university dance programs, and has had original work selected for festivals including the Queensborough Dance Festival and MNE’s Emerging Choreographer Series (in 2021 and 2022 as returning choreographer). She has performed in the NYC area and toured throughout the US, sharing the stage with renowned artists at venues including the National Museum of Dance, Wolftrap, the Delacorte Theater, the Rockefeller Estate, Kaatsbaan Cultural Center, BAM Fisher Hall, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Outside Festival and the Joyce Theater. Laura currently teaches, performs and continues her studies in New York City and Seville, Spain.

ISAAC TOVAR is a former soloist of the Ballet Nacional de España, Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, Compañía Andaluza de Danza, Compañía Antonio “El Pipa”, and Compañía Aída Gómez, among many other premier national and international companies including Flamenco en route (Switzerland) and Flamenco Vivo (NYC). He is currently soloist for the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía and resides between Seville, Spain and New York City. Isaac received his higher education degree in Choreography and Interpretation from the Conservatorio Superior de Danza “Maria de Ávila” in Madrid and has decades of experience teaching both flamenco and spanish dance throughout Europe, Canada and the United States.

Creative Team

SAMMI CANNOLD  is a theater, film, and television director who is one of Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment, class of 2019 and has worked on and off Broadway as well as for CBS, ABC, Nickelodeon, Paramount+, Cirque du Soleil, and TikTok — and at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including The Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall, and Radio City Music Hall. Credits include Evita (New York City Center), Endlings (NYTW, A.R.T.), How to Dance in Ohio (Syracuse Stage), Ragtime on Ellis Island, and Violet (A.R.T.). Recently, Sammi’s first documentary feature pre- miered at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre and was released worldwide on AppleTV. Upcoming projects include new musicals, revivals, and feature films. Sammi has also served as Artistic Fellow at the A.R.T., a member of Cirque du Soleil’s Creative Cognoscenti, and a Sundance Institute Fellow. Outside of the arts, Sammi serves as Chief of Staff for Human First Coalition, an organization providing humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. B. A., Stanford University; M.A., Harvard University. www.sammicannold.com. @sammi.cannold

GUSTAVO ZAJAC is an international director and choreographer. On Broadway, he worked as associate choreographer for Fiddler on the Roof and Wise Guys. He choreographed Evita at the Repertory Theater in St Louis, MO. He has also directed and choreographed in Argentina (including some of the most acclaimed tango shows in Buenos Aires at Madero Tango), Japan, Korea, and Mexico. He teaches jazz dance and musical theater extensively throughout Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, Spain, and the U.S. and is a guest professor of theater dance at Point Park University´s International Summer Dance Program in Pittsburgh, PA, and at Steps on Broadway, in New York City. He received a Fulbright Scholarship to study musical theater and dance in New York City and was granted the Honorary Recognition Award in dance and choreography by the Argentinian Dance Council. gustavozajac.com

ANN BEYERSDORFER (Scenic Designer) is a NYC-based designer who is thrilled to be working with this team! Ann is the Art Director of NBC’s Saturday Night Live’s Film Unit. Her Broadway associate design credits include: Company (the current revival), Ink, Jitney, The Children, and Anastasia (first national tour and international productions). Additional associate: Samson et Dalila (The Metropolitan Opera), PHISH New Year’s Eve Concert ‘17/’18 (Madison Square Garden), and an immersive touring production of Peter Pan in China (Broadway Asia). Select Regional/Off-Broadway design credits include: Camelot (The Muny), Yoga Play (Syracuse Stage and Geva Theatre), the Off-Broadway sleeper hit, Afterglow (NYC/ Los Angeles), We Are the Tigers (NYC premiere), Knead (The Alliance Theatre). Ann is an adjunct theatre design & production professor at Fordham University, is a Live Design/LDI 30 Under 30 recipient (2018), and is a proud member of USA Local 829. annbeyersdorfer.com @annbeyersdorfer

NICOLE SLAVEN (Costume Designer) a Brooklyn based costume designer and the- atre artist. Previous collaborations include companies such as NAATCO, Lesser America, The Atlantic Theatre Company, The New School of Drama, Warren G. Miller PAC, The Tank, Two Headed Rep, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Nicole received Drama Desk and Henry Hewes Design Award nominations for her costume design of NAATCO’s Henry VI: Shakespeare’s Trilogy in Two Parts. She is a teaching artist at the Oldfields School and a resident designer with Two Headed Rep. nicoleslaven.com

BRIAN TOVAR (Lighting Designer) Off Broadway: The View Upstairs, Wild Goose Dreams, Tamar of The River (Drama Desk nomination), Sex Tips, And She Would Stand Like This, The Wildness, Eager to Lose, The Lapsburgh Layover, City Of, The Underclassman, Sex Tips, Sleeping Rough, Spidermusical, Accidentally Like a Martyr, The Wendy Complex, The Wendigo, Regional: Goodspeed, Signature, Denver Center, Barrington, Two River, Northern Stage. Live Event: Original 29Rooms (Clio Award) Hall of Magic (Clio Award), and Museum of Ice Cream, among others. BrianTovarDesign.com @tovarbri

Click here to view our Carmen Press Release.
MasterVoices 2022-23 season visual created by Asia Pietrzyk.