A Modern Opera Love Story
A Tale of Love, Life and Relationships . . .
In this original production written by Rogue Opera’s Director, Bronwen Stephens-Harding, you meet four famous characters from opera - Mimi, Rodolfo, Escamillo and Carmen - transported from their original stories to a modern setting: two couples meeting in their favourite pub after Lockdown. However, cracks in their friendships and relationships soon appear.
Channelling some of opera’s most famous music, each character will question themselves, their partners and their destinies, embarking on a journey to change themselves and find true love. Or perhaps they’ll realise that happiness comes from the simple things – good food, good wine and good company. . .
Showreel & Audience Reviews
About the show
Mimi
MIMI
“THE GOOD GIRL”
Mimi is a beautician who started an Etsy shop during lockdown to sell her hand-crafted material flowers and other creations. She and Carmen have been friends since primary school, but in high school, Carmen started hanging more with the popular crowd and they drifted apart…
(Click here to find out more)
Carmen
CARMEN
“THE POPULAR ONE”
Best friends with Mimi at primary school, Carmen has always been the extroverted one in any group. She knew she was destined for the stage from an early age. She met Escamillo, the MMA You Tube Star, at a gallery opening event just before the pandemic hit…
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RODOLFO
RODOLFO
“THE QUIET ONE”
Rodolfo is a poet and singer-songwriter, a deep thinker and a sensitive soul. He has found the pandemic and lockdown incredibly hard, emotionally and creatively. At high school, Rodolfo had a crush on Carmen for a long time, but she hardly even noticed him.
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ESCAMILLO
ESCAMILLO
“THE ALPHA MALE”
Born to Spanish parents, Escamillo has always had a fascination with the Toreador culture. He’s found the equivalent thrill-of-combat in MMA. He has had a few serious relationships but as his celebrity grows he finds it harder to meet the right person…
(Click here to find out more)
For full Opera Drama, most of the songs are sung in the original language – if you'd like to know more, scroll down and click on the links below for translations and information about the original operas
- First Half -
We meet the Awesome Foursome but things soon turn sour
Anvil Chorus
1. Vedi! Le fosche notturne spoglie
Look! A new day is dawning
Finally able to go out to the pub again, the Awesome Foursome meet in their favourite Fuller’s pub garden…
Toreador’s Toast
2. Votre Toast
To your health!
Escamillo revels in his celebrity status and the thrill of the bullfight, and salutes all red-blooded men who fight…
Habanera
3. L’amour est un oiseau rebelle
Love is a rebellious bird
Carmen’s “Girls just want to have fun” outlook on love: love is fickle so we may as well take pleasure where we want…
Che gelida manina
4. Che gelida manina
What a cold little hand
Rodolfo and Mimi reminisce about their first conversation. Rodolfo, over keen to impress, talked a lot about his poetry…
Au fond du temple saint
5. Au fond du temple saint…une femme apparaît
In the depths of the holy temple…a woman appears
Rodolfo and Escamillo, envisioning their perfect women, weave a spellbinding ode to beauty and brotherhood
Prenderò quel brunettino
6. Prenderò quel brunettino
I’ll take the dark haired one
Carmen convinces Mimi that there is no harm in a little bit of mental infidelity and urges her to join in picking out a man she fancies and flirting a little
- Second Half -
Straying eyes, jealousy, soul-searching...
where will it all end?
Non ti fidar
11. Non ti fidar o misera
Don’t trust that faithless heart, you poor woman!
Carmen reveals a vulnerable side, fearing Escamillo will be just another philanderer, like opera’s infamous Don Giovanni…
Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss
12. Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiß
My lips kiss with such passion
Inspired by Carmen (and a few drinks), Mimi breaks away from her good girl persona to revel in passion and dance…
Mettez-vous en garde
13. Mettez-vous en garde
Be on your guard
Old and new jealousies flare up between Rodolfo and Escamillo, erupting into a furious fight…
Largo al factotum
14. Largo al factotum
Make way for the go-to man
Horrified at Escamillo’s Alpha behaviour, Carmen suggests he tries being someone a little less violent, more like their favourite hairdresser, Figaro!
Il segreto
15. Il segreto per esser felice
The secret to being happy
Carmen decides to forget about love and live in the moment, revelling in jokes, laughter and drink…
La donna è mobile
16. La donna è mobile
Women are fickle
Rodolfo agrees with Carmen about carpe diem but annoys the women by channelling the ultimate cad, the Duke of Mantua
Flower Duet
17. Sous le dôme épais…
Under the dome of jasmine and roses
The exquisite Flower Duet evokes nature’s beauty and tranquillity, reminding Carmen and Mimi of happier times
Cinderella’s Song
18. Non più mesta … starò sola a gorgheggiar
I’ll no longer sit alone, sadly singing …
Carmen wonders if she would be happier if she could wait patiently, like Cinderella, for the right person to come along
Soave sia il vento
19. Soave sia il vento
Gentle be the breeze
Rodolfo’s creativity is re-inspired by Mozart as he rejoices in the power of music to describe and transform the soul
Mi chiamano Mimi
20. Mi chiamano Mimi
They call me Mimi
Mimi, more confident and liberated, reconnects with her and Rodolfo’s innocent beginnings
Lippen schweigen
21. Lippen schweigen
The Merry Widow waltz
Rodolfo finds a way to use his poetry to truly tell Mimi how much he loves her
We can perform our Modern Opera Love Story for you.