Photo by Carol PrattBased on Meilhac and Halevy’s adaptation of Prosper Merimee’s Carmen, the musical Carmen Jones originally opened at the Broadway Theatre on Dec. 2, 1943. With book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and music by Bizet, the musical played 502 performances, closing Feb. 10, 1945. Carmen Jones concerns the story of the passionate but self destructive Carmen, who is smitten with army corporal Joe until she fixes her sights on a prizefighter named Husky Miller. The Kennedy Center revived the musical in a semi-staged concert reading style Nov. 15-17.
— By Christine Ehren
