In my very early teens, I sneaked into an over-16s ‘A’ film of an all-black casting of Bizet’s opera Carmen.
Never having seen Carmen in an opera house, I was overwhelmed and not a little confused by the sexual energies that swirled through Carmen Jones and I still call it to mind when watching yet another live Carmen in the opera house.
The star of Otto Preminger’s film – and the only one who sang her part rather than having it dubbed, was Olga James. She just died, aged 95. Olga never got offered another film role.
I got caught and banned from that cinema.
The post Carmen Jones, RIP appeared first on Slippedisc.
,%20Hilary%20Cronin%20(Melissa)%20and%20Rowan%20Pierce%20(Oriana)%20Credit_%20Genevieve%20Girling%20(1).jpg?w=160&resize=160,160&ssl=1 "Musically, an evening of complete enjoyment: Olivia Fuchs's playful 'Love Island' setting for Handel's Amadigi in Buxton")
