Charlotte Ballet’s 'Carmen' has plenty of excitement but no soul

'Carmen' runs through May 11 at Knight Theater

This review by longtime Charlotte arts critic Lawrence Toppman was published by The Charlotte Ledger on May 3, 2025. You can find out more about The Charlotte Ledger’s commitment to smart local news and information and sign up for our newsletter for free here. Ledger subscribers can add the Toppman on the Arts newsletter on their “My Account” page.

---

Charlotte Ballet’s ‘Carmen’ dazzles visually but lacks emotional depth; strong corps de ballet and live orchestra are highlights

Charlotte Ballet’s “Carmen” — a world premiere choreographed by Andrea Schermoly — is set in Las Vegas in 1973. (Photo by Taylor Jones courtesy of Charlotte Ballet)

by Lawrence Toppman

I have seen Carmens who were fiery, mysterious, domineering, hard-shelled (with and without soft centers), world-weary, dryly funny and doomed. But until Charlotte Ballet’s “Carmen” at Knight Theater Friday, I never saw one who was merely a party girl in a glitzy dress.

The 90-minute world premiere choreographed by Andrea Schermoly offers frantic energy, blunt broad humor, superficial glamor without real sensuousness, and crowd-pleasing if often repetitive physical pyrotechnics. But as Gertrude Stein said of her hometown of Oakland, “There’s no there there:” no sense of hearts broken, danger looming, people rushing toward self-destruction. Watching it is like meeting a beautifully dressed, handsome blind date who, after 15 minutes, has nothing left to say.

Schermoly sets this, for no reason I can see, in Las Vegas in 1973. Perhaps she chose that time because Elvis Presley was still working there: Her Escamillo, Don José’s rival for Carmen’s favors, is a pompadoured, puffed-up pop singer who draws snickers from the audience. That means, of course, we don’t see why Carmen immediately feels drawn to him: Who wants this no-charisma buffoon, however rich he is?

Most of the behavior lacks motivation. We have no idea why Las Vegas cops arrest Carmen, who hasn’t done anything; why deputy sheriff José, reunited with her after three months in prison for letting her escape, abruptly walks away after they meet; why he suddenly shows up later to defend her from sheriff Zuniga’s arachnid predations; how Elvis-millo and Micaela, José’s one-time fiancé, arrive at the same time to find José and Carmen hiding in a Vegas alley.

There are things to admire about this production. First, the use of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra to play a mash-up of selections from Georges Bizet’s opera and Rodion Shchedrin’s riffs on it, oddly expanded with bits of music from Rossini and Mascagni; Christopher James Lees sets danceable tempos, and the live experience is a welcome novelty outside of “Nutcracker” season.

Second, the corps de ballet, whose appearances breathe life into every scene they enter. Third, some clever bits: Carmen emerges from among showgirls waving huge feathered fans, like Odette appearing amid the waterfowl in “Swan Lake.” The Vegas set, a long staircase to nowhere under huge airborne playing cards outlined in neon, captures the mood exactly. (Joe Schermoly, who designed it, often works with his sister.)

The leading dancers are variable. Anna Owen perfectly embodies Micaela’s sad loyalty and tenderness toward José, especially in her opening solo. (Her name is spelled Mikaela in the program. Why?) Mario Gonzalez creeps menacingly as Zuniga. Luke Csordas is more interesting as the “serious” Escamillo in Act 2 than the boorish one in Act 1, and his choreography serves him better there.

Lanky, flexible Rees Launer has an expressive body and fine control of it, especially in the later scenes. But the look on his face never changes, whether he’s killing Carmen or killing time off to one side. José reacts the same way to the seduction by Carmen, the pleading of Micaela and the shooting of Zuniga, always with a look of mild bafflement.

Anna Mains dances up a storm in the title role, particularly as the exhausted Carmen of Act 2, despite being saddled with numbingly flat voiceovers that quote Bizet’s opera. But she hasn’t been given a character to play, and she doesn’t create one by sheer force of personality. I admired her technical proficiency while wishing she’d applied it to something more memorable.

If You’re Going: “Carmen” runs through May 11 at Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Lawrence Toppman covered the arts for 40 years at The Charlotte Observer before retiring in 2020. Now, he’s in the critic’s chair for the Charlotte Ledger — look for his reviews several times each month in the Toppman on the Arts newsletter.

---

Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 7 of our local newsletters:

The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.

◼️ About The Ledger • Our Team • Website
◼️ Newsletters • Podcast • Newcomer Guide • A Better You email series
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Events Board • Merch Store • Manage Your Account
◼️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Substack Notes