Far Eastern University (FEU), through its President’s Committee on Culture (PCC), will present Ballet Manila’s production of “Carmen,” featuring prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, on Sept. 25, 3 p.m., at the historic FEU Auditorium.
Featuring music by Georges Bizet and Rodion Shchedrin, the ballet is a poignant retelling of Prosper Mérimée’s classic novella about an ambitious and manipulative woman whose lust for life, love and luxury ends in bitter heartbreak and misfortune. Macuja-Elizalde, playing the titular role, will also be joined by a host of Ballet Manila’s talents.
With choreography by Eric V. Cruz, Ballet Manila’s first artistic director, the production is part of Macuja-Elizalde’s “Swan Song Series.” The prominent ballerina is set to retire at the end of 2013.
“We at FEU are deeply honored to host Ballet Manila and Lisa Macuja-Elizalde in one of her farewell performances,” said Martin Lopez, director of the FEU-PCC. “Indeed, this production of ‘Carmen’ featuring Macuja-Elizalde is one of the reasons FEU’s cultural season for the school year is entitled ‘Debuts and Farewells.’”
The first foreign soloist to be invited to join the prestigious Kirov Ballet—now known as the Mariinsky Ballet—Macuja-Elizalde has collected numerous awards during her illustrious career, including the Pearl of the Orient Award and the Gawad Buhay Awards for the Performing Arts in 2008. She was conferred the Order of International Friendship by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2001 and was part of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World in 1997 and the Ten Outstanding Young Filipinos in 1995.
Ballet Manila’s “Carmen” is part of FEU’s 2013-2014 cultural season, which carries the theme “Debuts and Farewells.” The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, call FEU President’s Committee on Culture at tel. 7364897 or visit www.facebook.com/FEU-PCC.