A new production, a new music director’s first season and two free outdoor simulcasts make Oct. 17 a night to experience opera on your own terms. A seat at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A blanket near the Pacific. A picnic spread on the grass in Hacienda Heights. On Oct. 17, three very different evenings will share the same soundtrack: the seductive pulse and sweeping drama of Bizet’s Carmen.
LA Opera opens its 2026–27 season that Saturday with a new production at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, broadcast live to free outdoor gatherings at the Santa Monica Pier and William Steinmetz Park. The performance begins at 6 p.m., turning opening night into an invitation that reaches from downtown to the coast and the San Gabriel Valley.
For longtime opera lovers, there is a fresh interpretation to discover. For newcomers, there is a compelling place to begin: a fiercely independent woman, an increasingly complicated attraction and music that may sound familiar before anyone sings its name.
A Romance With Something at Stake
Set in Seville, Carmen follows a woman determined to live and love on her own terms. When she catches the attention of soldier Don José, attraction begins to unsettle his carefully ordered life. The arrival of charismatic bullfighter Escamillo makes an already volatile situation harder to contain.
The tension comes from a question that needs no knowledge of opera: What happens when one person’s idea of love clashes with another’s need for freedom?
Bizet gives that conflict an unforgettable musical language. The “Habanera” moves with a teasing, deliberate sway; the “Toreador Song” arrives with a swagger that practically announces its own entrance. Between those recognizable melodies lies the pleasure of hearing how the music draws the characters together—and exposes the distance between them.
Tunisian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb takes the title role opposite Joshua Guerrero as Don José. Director and designer Thaddeus Strassberger gives the new staging Spanish Gothic character, while Domingo Hindoyanconducts as he begins his inaugural season as LA Opera’s music director.
An Opening Night That Travels
That change at the podium gives the evening significance beyond a single production. Hindoyan begins his first season with one of opera’s most recognizable scores, offering audiences an early opportunity to hear his musical direction for the company. He will also conduct Nabucco later in the season.
The outdoor broadcasts extend that moment to audiences who might otherwise miss it. Supported by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, both simulcasts are free and open to all ages. They carry the live performance from the Pavilion, allowing three audiences to follow the same unfolding drama.
At the 13th annual Opera at the Beach, the Santa Monica Pier becomes an outdoor gathering place with the Pacific as its backdrop. Arrive at 4 p.m. for crafts with LA Opera Connects, local performances, food vendors and giveaways before settling in for the broadcast.
Bring a sweater along with the picnic. As daylight fades, the appeal is simple: an evening by the ocean with a full-scale opera filling the screen.
A Park Picnic With a Dramatic Turn
In Hacienda Heights, Opera in the Park at William Steinmetz Park starts with an afternoon of community activities. Lawn games, balloon art, caricature portraits, face painting and crafts give families plenty to explore before the music begins. Local performers, food vendors and giveaways round out the preshow gathering.
Both locations offer general admission seating. Pack blankets or low lawn chairs, a picnic and nonalcoholic drinks; leave large coolers, canopies, tents, sun umbrellas and pets at home. The opera is sung in French, with English subtitles at the park and English and Spanish subtitles at the beach.
Whether the evening calls for a downtown theater outing or a blanket under the sky, opening night offers a shared starting point. Choose a setting, bring someone curious and let Carmen take it from there.
Plan Your Visit
Carmen at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
For more information and tickets, visit LAOpera.org/Carmen.
Address: 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Opening night: Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at 6 p.m.
Additional performances: Oct. 25 and 29; Nov. 1, 4 and 7. Check the booking page for individual performance times and prices. laopera.org
Opera at the Beach — Santa Monica Pier
For more information and free RSVP, visit LAOpera.org/Beach.
Address: 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica
Date and hours: Saturday, Oct. 17; preshow activities at 4 p.m., live broadcast at 6 p.m.
Admission: Free; open to all ages. RSVP for event updates. LA Opera
Opera in the Park — William Steinmetz Park
For more information and free RSVP, visit LAOpera.org/Park.
Address: 1545 S. Stimson Ave., Hacienda Heights
Date and hours: Saturday, Oct. 17; preshow activities at 4 p.m., live broadcast at 6 p.m.
Admission: Free; open to all ages. RSVP for event updates.
Photo credits: Photo courtesy of LA Opera
