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NEW ORLEANS
Emotion ran high on both sides of the foodights on March 20, as Georges Bizet's Carmen returned to New Orleans after an absence of almost nine years. This production marked the return of the New Orleans Opera Association to the Mahalia Jackson Theater, more than three years after the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. This facility had reopened in January 2009, but Carmen was the first staged opera performance in the newly restored theater.
The theater looked gorgeous, with a brighter color scheme, new carpeting and new chairs. The lovely lobby chandelier probably hasn't sparkled so brightly since the theater first opened, in 1973. Prior to the start of the performance there were speeches from local politicians and a special presentation to the...