Carmen Jones was a 1943 Broadway musical, later also performed a 1954 musical film; the play also ran for a season in 1991 at London's Old Vic and most recently in London's Royal Festival Hall in the South Bank Centre in 2007^[1]. It is an updating of the Georges Bizet opera Carmen in an African-American setting. (Bizet's opera was, in turn, based on the 1846 novella by Prosper Mérimée.) The Broadway musical was produced by Billy Rose, using an all-black cast. Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the book (dialogue) and lyrics, but stuck rather closely to Bizet's original music, which was re-orchestrated for a Broadway orchestra by Robert Russell Bennett. Image File history File links Carmen_Jones_Broadway. ... Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (October 25, 1838 – June 3, 1875) was a French composer and pianist of the romantic era. ... For work done with Richard Rodgers, see Rodgers and Hammerstein Oscar Hammerstein II (July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was a New-York born writer, producer, and (usually uncredited) director of musicals for almost forty years. ... For work done with Richard Rodgers, see Rodgers and Hammerstein Oscar Hammerstein II (July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was a New-York born writer, producer, and (usually uncredited) director of musicals for almost forty years. ... Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (October 25, 1838 – June 3, 1875) was a French composer and pianist of the romantic era. ... Poster from the 1875 premiere of Carmen Carmen is a French opera by Georges Bizet. ... Cover incorporating part of Mérimées own watercolor Carmen Carmen is a novella by Prosper Mérimée written and first published in 1845. ... Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (September 28, 1803–September 23, 1870) was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... The exterior of the Old Vic from the corner of Baylis Road and Waterloo Road. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in history Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The exterior of the Old Vic from the corner of Baylis Road and Waterloo Road. ... The Royal Festival Hall reopening celebrations The Royal Festival Hall is a concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. ... The South Bank Centre is a complex of arts buildings located on the south bank of the River Thames beside the Hungerford Bridge. ... Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (October 25, 1838 – June 3, 1875) was a French composer and pianist of the romantic era. ... Poster from the 1875 premiere of Carmen Carmen is a French opera by Georges Bizet. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... Cover incorporating part of Mérimées own watercolor Carmen Carmen is a novella by Prosper Mérimée written and first published in 1845. ... Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (September 28, 1803–September 23, 1870) was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. ... Billy Rose (September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American theatrical showman. ... For work done with Richard Rodgers, see Rodgers and Hammerstein Oscar Hammerstein II (July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was a New-York born writer, producer, and (usually uncredited) director of musicals for almost forty years. ... For other men named Robert Bennett, see Robert Bennett (disambiguation). ...

The original Broadway cast were nearly all new to the stage; Kennedy and Muir write that on the first day of rehearsal only one member of the cast had ever been on a stage before.^[2]

The latest incarnation of the musical is currently running at the Royal Festival Hall in London up until the second of september.

The 1954 film was adapted by Hammerstein and Harry Kleiner. It was directed by Otto Preminger and starred Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte. Carmen Jones is a 1954 film adaptation of the Broadway Musical Carmen Jones. ... Otto Ludwig Preminger (December 5, 1906 – April 23, 1986) was a film director. ... Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922–September 8, 1965) was an American actress. ... Harold George Belafonete, Jr. ...

Plot

Parachute maker Carmen Jones makes a play for a "fly boy" airforce man Joe, who is in love with sweet Cindy Lou and about to marry her on a day pass when Carmen gets in a cat fight. Joe's pass gets cancelled in order for him to drive her to the next town to be handed over to the non-military police. Instead, she charms and seduces him; and he is court-marshalled for not delivering her to the authorities. While she waits for Joe to be released from military prison, she hangs around Billy Pastor's jive cafe where she encounters boxer Husky Miller, who is instantly besotted with Carmen calling her "heatwave". She is initially uninterested. But her friends Frankie and Mert know that their invitation from Husky's manager to see him fight in Chicago depend on Carmen being there too. Then Joe turns up at the cafe, but gets into a fight with a seargeant. The train tickets to Chicago offer them a way of avoiding the MPs. After a few days holed up with no money and no future with Joe, Carmen gets itchy feet and pays a visit to her two friends, now covered in diamonds and furs, at Husky's training camp. There, Frankie reads her cards, and reveals the nine of Spades. The card of Death. In the belief that her days are numbered, she gives in to Husky's advances and the luxurious life he can offer and abandons Joe. Cindy Lou comes to look for Joe, but he is still in love with Carmen and spurns Cindy Lou. The night of Husky's title fight, Joe turns up to try and convince her to come back to him, but when she rejects him, he kills her, thus making the cards' prophecy a reality.

Music

Although Oscar Hammerstein II translated the libretto for Georges Bizet's opera Carmen from French into English for his Broadway production, "The music was pretty much left intact," explains Arts and Entertainment Editor Elisabeth Vincentelli, "but Hammerstein transferred the action to WWII America. Carmen's tobacco factory became Carmen Jones' parachute factory, bullfighter Escamillo became boxer Husky Miller, and so on. As if this weren't enough, there also was the 'small' detail of casting the show only with African-Americans." For work done with Richard Rodgers, see Rodgers and Hammerstein Oscar Hammerstein II (July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was a New-York born writer, producer, and (usually uncredited) director of musicals for almost forty years. ... Antonio Ghislanzoni, nineteenth century Italian librettist. ... Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (October 25, 1838 – June 3, 1875) was a French composer and pianist of the romantic era. ... Poster from the 1875 premiere of Carmen Carmen is a French opera by Georges Bizet. ...

Vincentellli goes on to say, "Hammerstein's attempt at writing 'black' hasn't aged all that well, but many of the show's songs retain a surprising impact. The feverish intensity of 'Beat Out dat Rhythm on a Drum,' for instance, hasn't dimmed over the years, and the song's been covered by a wide variety of performers, from Pearl Bailey and Marc Almond to Mandy Patinkin." The majority of the actors performing the songs in the film Carmen Jones were dubbed. Even Harry Belafonte, the singer famous for "The Banana Boat Song," was dubbed with LeVern Hutcherson, and Dorothy Dandrige was dubbed by Marilyn Horne long before the singer became famous. Pearl Bailey in “St. ... Marc Almond (born Peter Mark Sinclair Almond on 9 July 1957 in Southport, Lancashire, England) is a popular English singer, songwriter and recording artist, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell. ... Mandel Bruce Patinkin (born November 30, 1952) is an American actor of stage and screen, as well as a renowned tenor. ... Harold George Belafonete, Jr. ... Marilyn Horne The American opera singer Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is a mezzo soprano who is particularly associated with the music of Rossini and Handel. ...

Songs

The Broadway production Carmen Jones features the following songs:

• Overture
• Lift 'Em Up and Put 'Em Down
• Dat's Love (Habanera)
• You Talk Just like My Maw
• Dere's a Cafe on de Corner (Seguidilla)
• Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum (Gypsy Song)
• Stan' Up and Fight (Toreador Song, also known as March of the Toreadors)
• Whizzin' Away Along de Track (Quintet)
• Dis Flower (Flower Song)
• De Cards Don't Lie (Card Song)
• My Joe
• Dat's Our Man

Look up habanera in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The seguidilla is a quick, triple-time Spanish folksong and dance form. ... The Toreador Song (actually entitled Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre) is one of the most famous compositions from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. ...

External link

Notes

1. ^ southbankcentre.co.uk/carmenjones, Carmen Jones at the Royal Festival Hall in London (25th July - 2nd September 2007)
2. ^ Kennedy and Muir 1998, p.77.

References

• Kennedy, Michael Patrick and Muir, John, Musicals, HarperCollins, 1997, updated reprint 1998, ISBN 0-00-472067-9.