Metropolitan Opera Designers Withdraw Names from 'Carmen' in Staging Dispute
The creative team behind Bizet's iconic opera "Carmen" at the Metropolitan Opera in New York has taken the extraordinary step of demanding their names be removed from all programmes and promotional materials. This dramatic move follows a bitter dispute with the opera house's management over significant alterations to the production's staging, particularly the elimination of key vehicles including a red Jaguar convertible.
Modern Interpretation Sparks Controversy
Director Carrie Cracknell's production, which marked her Metropolitan Opera debut on 31 December 2023, controversially relocated the action from 19th-century Seville to a modern American industrial town. In this reinterpretation, the character of Escamillo was transformed from a traditional bullfighter into a contemporary rodeo star.
The original staging featured Escamillo making a spectacular entrance in a bright red Jaguar convertible, which traversed the stage during his famous Toreador's Song. He was accompanied by an entourage arriving in three pickup trucks, with all vehicles guided by sophisticated computer-controlled wiring systems.
Cost-Cutting Measures Alter Artistic Vision
In the restaged version, the Jaguar and two of the pickup trucks were completely eliminated. Escamillo now enters on foot with his followers, some of whom push a motorcycle. Only one pickup truck from the original staging remains, positioned stationary throughout the act.
"We were furious," declared set designer Michael Levine. "I didn't want my name attached to the production because it's not a representation of the original artistic intent. I've never come across anything on this level where they literally change the basic concept."
Financial Pressures Drive Changes
The Metropolitan Opera's management cited economic reasons for the alterations. General manager Peter Gelb explained: "It was really an economic decision. We decided it was incredibly expensive to run, and it was not particularly effective. We decided to cut it." Gelb revealed the changes would save more than $300,000.
This decision comes amid broader financial challenges at the institution. On Tuesday, Gelb announced 22 layoffs from the Met's administrative staff of 284, temporary salary cuts of 4-15%, and a reduction of next season's operas from 18 to 17. These measures are projected to save $15 million this fiscal year and $25 million in 2026-27.
Production Team Stands United
Levine received notification of the changes last autumn, just before the October 28 opening. He and Cracknell attempted to find alternative solutions, such as placing the vehicles on the stage turntable, but reported the Met was unwilling to negotiate.
Levine removed his name from the production, citing contractual provisions that prohibited changes after opening night. The Met then gave the rest of the production team just one day to decide whether they would follow suit.
Director Carrie Cracknell, costume designer Tom Scutt, lighting designer Guy Hoare, projection designers rocafilm/Roland Horvath, and choreographer Ann Yee all subsequently requested their names be removed. In the programmes, after the names of the conductor and chorus master, the only production credit listed is revival stage director Melanie Bacaling, followed by several inches of blank space.
Historical Precedents and Future Implications
The Metropolitan Opera could not recall a previous instance where a retired production had returned to the stage. The most recent similar dispute occurred after Graham Vick's production of Verdi's "Il Trovatore" was met with laughter and boos on its December 2000 opening night. The Met restaged it by the third performance, and Vick and his team withdrew their names for the 2002-03 revival.
Cracknell's production of "Carmen" runs through Friday, having completed 30 performances over two seasons. A person familiar with the Met's planning, speaking anonymously, revealed the company intends to bring back Richard Eyre's 2009 production in a future season.
Damaged Relationships and Future Collaborations
Levine, who has designed sets for half a dozen Met productions including praised stagings of Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" and Puccini's "Madama Butterfly," expressed profound disappointment. "Now, of course, I don't trust the Met," he stated.
Despite the rift, Gelb hopes to repair the relationship, describing Levine as "one of the greatest designers in the world" and expressing pride in their previous collaborations. Levine is scheduled to return to the Met next season for Claus Guth's production of Leoš Janáček's "Jenůfa," a staging previously seen at London's Royal Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The dispute highlights the ongoing tension between artistic vision and financial realities in major cultural institutions, raising important questions about creative integrity in an era of economic constraint.
