Summertime and the weather is moody. In fact, it's downright gloomy. So naturally, On the Town was slightly concerned that an eagerly awaited performance of Carmen in the gardens of the Merrion Hotel on Tuesday evening would be sabotaged by rain. Sure enough, clouds threatened as if to sneer at the arrogance of staging an outdoor event in Ireland on a June evening, but thankfully a downpour was spared. Instead, the evening got off to a sunny start with a champagne reception on the patio.
General manager of the Merrion, Peter MacCann, whose wife Dorothy Whelan organised the event, spoke of the noise complaints which had come in from Baggot Street earlier in the day - ironic given that Baggot Street is a veritable building site at the moment. Presented by Co-Opera, this new version of Bizet's masterpiece was given an added dimension by being performed both in the round and outdoors. Hotel guests with rooms looking onto the garden lingered at their windows or wandered onto their balconies to enjoy the show - providing guests below with a kind of Rear Window experience.
Director Michael Hunt was delighted with the performance and, indeed, with the whole Irish tour. He's currently working on a number of projects including a version of Steve Martland's first opera Angongo which boasts New Look costumes by Dior's John Galliano, and sets by the enfant terrible of the art world, Damien Hirst. He's also staging a version of Malcolm McLaren's show, Fans, which is due to premiere in Dublin later this year.
Following the performance, guests adjourned indoors for dinner. The opera-lovers included Eamonn Gill from
A&L Goodbody who was with his wife Aine Gill; Ted Marah from the Irish Intercontinental Bank; David Callopy from Opera Ireland and designer Louise Kennedy. People later retired to the Cellar Bar where the cast, including Carmen herself, Karen England, and co-singer Roisin Toal wound down with a few pints. Carmen continued its Dublin run in entirely different surroundings at Vicar Street on Friday night, where designer Alison Nalder's abbatoir set assaulted the sensibilities of the audience. The evening, a fundraiser in aid of the New Day Counselling Centre, kicked off with margaritas, which continued "cabaret-style" in the theatre. The guest list on that night included Principal Management head honcho, Paul McGuinness; RTE's Marian Finucane; Ryanair's Cathal Ryan; Deryn Mackay of Blackrock's design den, Khan; designer Michael Mortell and Robbie and Martina Fox of Renards nightclub.
