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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2000)
(The ^ìorthxnò ©bserucr September 27, 2000 Focus Page 5 The Focus Do you rent? ■ If you insure your property and auto with American Family, you could save up to 20% on your auto insurance. Portland Opera Opens with Carmen Portland O p era's 36,h A nniver sary season opens with a bang as Carm en - one o f the m ost beloved and frequently perform ed operas o f all tim e - ignites the stage. W hen B izet’s opera first appeared in 1875, it shocked audiences w ith its bla tant sexuality and violence. Today, the story o f the w illful gypsy and her jealous lover still packs a punch. “C arm en is one o f those rare quintessential operas that has it all,” says P ortland O pera G eneral D i rector Robert Bailey. “W ith m em o rable tunes, a fast m oving story line, and im aginative sets by John C onklin w ho designed The C un ning L ittle Vixen last season. It’s a p iece th a t’s perfect for both first tim e o p era -g o e rs and seasoned fans.” C arm en is a riveting, tightly w oven tale o f passion, fate and be trayal. A bove all, it is the story o f an unforgettable heroine. In a restric- tive society, C arm en is a vibrant, defiant w om an w ho m akes her own rules. In one o f her m ost fam ous arias, “The H abanera," she declares that “ love is a w ild bird that cannot be tam ed." C arm en h erse lf is a free spirit w ho w ould rather risk death than be caged by any man. The action takes place in Seville in the 1820s. Don Jose, a soldier, is p led g ed to b e m a rrie d to y o u n g M i c a e l a a c c o r d i n g to h is m o th e r ’s d y in g w ish . E v e r y th in g c h a n g e s w h e n h e m e e ts C a rm e n , a p r o v o c a tiv e g y p sy w h o s e d u c e s h im an d le a d s h im in to a life o f crim e . W hen she discards him for a dashing b u ll fighter, Don Jo se’s passion turns m urderous. Carmen com bines a dram atic li bretto, based on the novel by Pros per M érim ée, with a score w ritten by Bizet at the height o f his genius. Even those seeing Carmen for the Drive a car? first tim e will instantly recognize such celebrated pieces as “The T o reador Song" and "T he H abanera" fro m film and te le v is io n soundtracks. B ecause o f the popularity o f B izet’s m usic, his role as a m usical in n o v a to r is o ften o v erlo o k e d . “ B izet was a m averick,” says Stage D irector James M cnamara. “He was w illing to break w ith traditional operatic form s in order to heighten dram atic tension.” Today w e take B ize t’s rev o lu tio n ary vision for granted, but his unconventional approach put him ahead o fh is time. Check your local telephone directory for the agent nearest you. AMERICAN FAMILY S U R A N C E AUTO HOME BUSINESS HEALTH LIFE All Your Protection Under One Roof www.amfam.com © 1 9 9 7 American family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidianes American Standard Insurance Company of Wisconsin Home Office - Madison, Wl 53783 American Standard Insurance Company of Ohio Home Office - Columbus. OH 43240 Rev. 4/00 ONE A 1615 N.E. K illin g sw o r th P o rtla n d , O reg o n 97211 STOP y k k Big City Produce 503/284 24 35 Fax 503/331 1442 y M USIC, INC. Named BEST FRESH MARKET in Portland 1999!! S to r e H ours: M on Sat. 10 AM & PM SPECIAL ORDERS UPON REQUEST Buy the Case, Buy the Pound, or Buy the Bunch, You Save BIG at Big City Produce! Best Greens in Portland. Best ethnocentric selections in Portland. 722 N. Sumner St. (Corner of N. Albina & N. Sumner) One Block West of Jefferson High School. 460-3830 Open 7 Days a Week Mon-Fri 7:30 - 7:00pm Sat. 9:00am - 6pm Sun. 10:00am - 6pm NEW RELEASES EVERY TUESDAY Big I- BuyuscdCDs K&B (iospri Mes IMP OUes .te z Soundtrack loialArtist Videos DVD Prepaidt eflphones Incense D.IPool CUstomerfluyingCMi rtione<<»xls BtanKTapesCDs/DATs RIP. May 30 1974 I f BRUAKY15. 1999
