In operatic dispute, Met Opera director and designers order names stripped from 'Carmen'

NEW YORK — In a dispute of operatic proportions, the production team of Bizet's ''Carmen'' at the Metropolitan Opera ordered their names stripped from programs over a restaging decision, and the company intends to bring back sets of a retired 2009 version.

Director Carrie Cracknell's production opened on Dec. 31, 2023, in her Met debut, moving the action from early 19th century Seville, Spain, to a contemporary American industrial town. The character Escamillo is a rodeo star, not a bullfighter, in this staging.

When the production opened, Escamillo entered in a red Jaguar convertible that crossed the stage as he started his famous Toreador's Song. He was accompanied by his entourage in three pickup trucks, all the vehicles moving on wires guided by a computer.

In the restaging decision, the Jaguar and two trucks were eliminated. Escamillo walked in with his followers, some pushing a motorcycle. One of the pickup trucks from the original staging was kept, in a stationary position throughout the act.

''We were furious,'' set designer Michael Levine said. ''I didn't want my name attached to the production because it's not a representation of the original artistic intent. … I've never come across anything on this level where they literally change the basic concept.''

Levine said the Met's assistant general manager for production notified him of the change last fall, just ahead of the Oct. 28 opening.

''I get a phone call from John Sellars saying: We're in terrible financial straits and we have to make cuts to the opera. We are going to cut the automation of the trucks,'' Levine said.

Cracknell, Tom Scutt (costumes), Guy Hoare (lighting), rocafilm/Roland Horvath (projections) and Ann Yee (choreography) also asked their names to be dropped. After the names of the conductor and chorus master, the only person listed in programs was revival stage director Melanie Bacaling, who was an assistant stage director when the production premiered, followed by several inches of white space.

Met cites economic reasons

''It was really an economic decision,'' Met general manager Peter Gelb said of the change. ''We decided it was incredibly expensive to run, and it was not particularly effective. We decided to cut it.''

Gelb said the savings was more than $300,000.

On Tuesday, Gelb announced 22 layoffs to the Met's administrative staff of 284, 4-15% temporary salary cuts and the reduction next season by one opera to 17. The moves are projected to save $15 million this fiscal year and $25 million in 2026-27.

A person familiar with the Met's planning, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made, said the company intends in a future year to bring back Richard Eyre's production. That staging premiered Dec. 31, 2009, and ran for 79 performances over six seasons through 2019.

Cracknell, 45, received a Tony nomination for ''Seawall/A Life'' starring Jake Gyllenhaal and an Olivier nomination for Berg's ''Wozzeck'' at the English National Opera.

Levine, 65, has designed the sets of a half-dozen Met productions, including praised stagings of Tchaikovsky's ''Eugene Onegin'' by Robert Carsen and Puccini's ''Madama Butterfly'' by Anthony Minghella.

The Met could not remember a previous instance of a retired production returning.

The most recent similar dispute came after Graham Vick's production of Verdi's ''Il Trovatore'' was met with laughter at dramatic moments and then booed on opening night in December 2000. The Met restaged it by the third performance, and Vick and his production team withdrew their names for the 2002-03 revival. It appeared just 28 times over two seasons and was replaced by a David McVicar staging in 2009.

''Now, of course, I don't trust the Met,'' Levine said.

Gelb hopes to repair the relationship.