Carmen

Capping off the populist Sommerfest series is the catchiest darn opera ever written. Taking the role of the titular seductress in this semi-staged production is the smoky-eyed American mezzo-soprano Angela Horn (pictured on next page), a New York-based singer who’s regarded nationwide as one of the finest interpreters of the sultry Carmen character. In fact, Sommerfest music director Andrew Litton directed Horn in a production of Carmen last year, in Vail, Colorado, after which he announced, “Angela Horn is Carmen.” The cast also includes hometown-girl-made-good Jennifer Baldwin Peden, who returns to the role she played at Theatre de la Jeune Lune: the sweet little peasant girl Micaela. Perfect for a Minnesotan! 612-371-5656; www.mnorch.org