CarmXn Rental

General Information

Total Running Time

2 hours and 20 minutes

Acts I & II: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Interactive Intermission/Dance Party 20 minutes
Acts III & IV: 45 minutes

production Forces

11 Soloists + 2 Local Asylum Seeker Supernumeraries

Reduced Orchestration for 12 by Felix Jarrar

About

The flagship production of CarmXn is a new adaptation through the Hogfish lens of the classic opera Carmen exploring boundaries of geopolitics, gender, and genre conceived and directed by Edwin & Matt Cahill. New book, lyrics, and music devised by and with the cast. Curated and edited by Cynthia L. Dorsey & Edwin Cahill.

Devised from the original Opéra Comique version and short story by Prosper Merimée, Hogfish’s CarmXn is a modern day musical with new dialogue spoken in English and other languages of the border including Spanish, French, and Dari.  Bizet’s magical score comes to life across musical genres with re-imagined mariachi band orchestration by Felix Jarrar and an electronic Flamenco dance party created by Lucy Dhegrae with choreography by Lindsey Bourassa and Amelia Rose Estrada.

The production can come fully cast or can be cast together with your venue. Our original production featured artists from the Metropolitan Opera, Broadway, and beyond. 

TIME

Now.

PLACE

PROLOGUE - A dream state of the past
ACT I - A U.S. Border Wall
ACT II - Lillas Pastias Drag Club on the Border
INTERACTIVE INTERMISSION - A new underground drag club in the mountains
ACT III - In the mountains on a wall-less U.S. border
ACT IV - Outside an arena for an international drag competition
EPILOGUE - A dream state for the future

SYNOPSIS

EPILOGUE
We hear an incantation in Nahuatl. La Presy circles the stage and invites young CarmXn and her mother to have their fortune told. She foresees that CarmXn will “drink much water in foreign lands”. Young CarmXn and her mother are separated at the border by the ICE officer Zuniga. Young CarmXn walks off to her fate and into those foretold foreign lands. Our CarmXn joins La Presy many years later, ready to face her past, demanding for her fortune to be read again and eager to change the narrative. The story begins…

ACT 1
Scene 1
We begin in the culturally vibrant yet politically charged environment of the US/Mexico border at El Paso and Juarez. Don José, a new ICE officer, arrives to see the tension at the border between Zuniga, the head ICE officer, and the citizens of Juarez alongside CarmXn, who are on break from working at a nearby maquiladora factory. CarmXn performs a song with her friends about the inability for love to be tamed, (“Habanera”). She is intrigued by Don José and triggers the border alarm to get his attention.

Scene 2
The alarm sounds and the group flees from the ICE agents as CarmXn and Don José are caught together in the midst of the chaos. She has done her research on the new ICE officer, and recites the opening line of his favorite poem to him, albeit in Spanish. She and her friends tease at his confusion, and head back to work. (“Habanera Postlude”).

Scene 3
After CarmXn leaves with her friends, Micaëla, Don José’s childhood sweetheart and friend, arrives to bring Don José a letter from his mother (“Parle-Moi De Me Mère''). Reading the letter aloud, they discover that Don José’s mother enclosed her engagement ring and requests that Don José use it to propose to Micaëla. Micaëla flees in embarrassment.

Scene 4
A scream is heard from the maquiladora factory. The workers run outside, trying to figure out what is going on and who is hurt. We learn that CarmXn carved an X in the cheek of a woman who insulted her race and family (“CarmXn’s Assault”). Upon interrogation, CarmXn ignores questioning, refuses to speak, and instead sings in defiance (“Tra La La La”).

Scene 5
Zuniga orders CarmXn to be tied up, and Don José to monitor her. CarmXn and Don José, now alone, finally connect. CarmXn proposes they have a night of passion and dancing at her friend Lillas Pastia’s bar (“Seguidilla”). Don José takes her up on her offer, and they create a diversion where she gets away.

Scene 6
He is then arrested by Zuniga (“Finale Act I”).

ACT 2
Pantomime
Zuniga locks up Don José in jail. A short while later, AJ sneaks in and frees Don José at CarmXn’s request, a favor in return for letting her escape earlier.

Scene 1
Two months later, Lillas Pastia, CarmXn, and friends Mercedes, Frasquita, and AJ rehearse a new song and dance number at Lillas Pastia’s bar that CarmXn is creating to surprise Don José, as he has sent word that he is finally joining her that evening. (“Chanson Boheme”). 

Scene 2
Escamillo (Tory Adore!) enters the bar and performs her drag routine (“Votre Toast”). Escamillo and CarmXn are both intrigued by the other, and their courage to defy societal norms. Police are spotted who have been cracking down on drag acts, so Escamillo departs. Lillas Pastia, AJ, CarmXn, Mercedes, Frasquita, and Remendado all plan for an upcoming drug drop using their work at the maquiladora factory as a front. CarmXn tells the others to go ahead without her, and waits for Don José.

Scene 3
Don José arrives singing a folk song. (“Dragon D’Alcala”).

Scene 4
CarmXn, happy to see Don José, performs the dance for him that she had been rehearsing earlier with her friends. In the middle of the dance, Don José hears an alarm from his fellow ICE officers in the distance and tries to go. CarmXn is not pleased. The two begin to fight (“Je Vais Danser”). After an outburst, Don José sings tries to make up to CarmXn by singing a song he wrote for her in prison (“Painted Flowers” by Adrian Kramer). CarmXn shuts him down, still angry that he would leave her so soon after arriving. He puts all his cards on the table and sings to her about how she is all he can think about, and that he has kept the flower she threw at him from the first day they met (“The Flower Song”). He ends by giving CarmXn his mother’s ring. CarmXn tells him if he really loves her, then he must leave with her and not rejoin ICE.

Scene 5
Don José refuses, but just as he is about to leave, Zuniga arrives to arrest CarmXn and Don José. CarmXn’s friends come to her rescue and restrain Zuniga, who is then killed. Don José has no choice now but to come with CarmXn to the mountains. Lillas Pastia’s bar is shut down.

INTERACTIVE INTERMISSION
A new underground pop-up drag bar in the mountains. La Presy, Lillas Pastia, Aj, and Tory Adore! all perform and invite the audience to dance along with them.

ACT 3
Entr’acte
AJ guides Micaëla through the mountains to deliver a message to Don José, trying to avoid being caught by other members of the group.

Scene 1
A fight between CarmXn and Don José comes to a head. Don José storms off.

Scene 2
CarmXn, Frasquita, and Mercedes pass the time by reading their tarot cards. CarmXn discovers that the cards predict her death (“Card Trio and Aria”).

Scene 3
Micaëla negotiates with AJ that she needs more time in order to speak with Don José.

Scene 4
Micaëla, all alone at the camp, cries out to God, asking for protection and courage to deliver her message to Don José. (“Je Dis”).

Scene 5
Micaëla flees once she hears Escamillo arriving, who has made a trip to the mountains to see CarmXn. Escamillo and Don José cross paths, and they fight after Escamillo declares his infatuation with CarmXn (“Fight”). Don José begins a psychotic break, hallucinates, and sees actual bulls attacking him.

Scene 6
CarmXn enters to stop the fighting. Escamillo leaves. Everyone catches Micaëla hiding. Micaëla then asks Don José to go with her. He refuses until she tells him that his mother is dying and has requested that he be at her bedside. He agrees to leave with Micaëla, but not before swearing to CarmXn that they will see each other again (“Finale Act III”).

ACT 4
Entr’acte
Several months later, Tory Adore! puts on her makeup for her drag bullfighting performance.

Scene 1
Escamillo (Tory Adore!) and CarmXn have begun a relationship with each other and express their affection (“Duet: Si Tu M’aimes”). As Tory leaves for her act, Mercedes and Frasquita warn CarmXn that they have spotted Don José, in the audience and they believe he will come after CarmXn. CarmXn tells them that she will not run from any one and will stay and face Don José.

Scene 2
Don José confronts CarmXn, threatening to kill her if she does not love him any more and to pursue her to the ends of the earth if she runs away. She refuses to give up her freedom to love and live as she chooses, and so accepts her death at his hands as the only way to remain free.

EPILOGUE
Frasquita and Mercedes mourn at CarmXn’s funeral procession with AJ and Lillas Pastia. The whole cast joins them on stage singing an anthem of hope for freedom and peace for all. (“Circle round for freedom” by Linda Hirschhorn)