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Opera fans are singing about the return of Carmen to London
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The Black and White Conservatory, Milestone Hotel. © Copyright Red Carnation Hotels
Wichita has its fair share of opera fans, judging by the size of the crowds thronging to the Wichita Grand Opera every season. Bizet’s Pearl Fishers just completed a very successful run, and next up is the Moiseev Russian Classical Ballet, Swan Lake, on March 22.
For those who didn’t get enough of Bizet during Valentine weekend in Wichita, London is calling. Carmen, one of the most beloved operas of all time, is playing at the Royal Albert Hall through March 8. The passion and flamboyance of Seville, Spain and the free-spirited gypsy, Carmen, have been captivating audiences since the 1880s. The opera magnificently evokes the dusty squares of Andalusia and the thrill of the bullring in this timeless tale of love, superstition, and murder.
The acclaimed production in London features two superb casts singing in English, with the spellbinding sopranos Cristina Nassif and Louise Poole taking the title role.
The Royal Albert Hall is a fabulous venue. I remember going to see Ravi Shankar playing there when I was a teenager, living at a boarding school just down Kensington Gore from the Hall. I remember how awed I was by my surroundings, and the Beatles’ lyric kept running through my head: “Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.”
To celebrate this five-star production, the five-star Milestone Hotel, situated just a few hundred yards from the Royal Albert Hall, opposite Kensington Palace, is offering the Carmen & the Milestone package, which includes:
• One night in a room category of your choice
• Welcome glass of champagne upon arrival
• Two tickets to Carmen at the Royal Albert Hall
• Pre-show three-course dinner for two (with dessert on return from the opera)
• VIP Bentley transfer to the Royal Albert Hall
• Full English breakfast in bed
I have been a guest at the Milestone (part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection), and the hardest part about my stay there was leaving the luxurious accommodations to go back home. It was voted the No. 1 British hotel on Condé Nast Traveler Gold List World’s Best Hotels 2009, and also voted “Best Hotel in the British Isles” by Condé Nast Traveler readers. It doesn’t get any better than this, unless the Queen issues a Royal Invitation to Buckingham Palace.
The Carmen & the Milestone package is from £489 per night, based on double occupancy. To take advantage of this exceptional offer (made even better by the great exchange rate right now), call the hotel directly at +44 (0) 20 7917 1000 or email bookms@rchmail.com.
You’ll be singing all the way back to Kansas.
Author's note: This is the first in a three-part series on Spring Flings in London. You can read the second part here, and the third part here.
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