NEW YORK—The story of a man falling for the wrong woman is an oft-told tale, so the key to this kind of tale’s effect is in just how it’s presented. Classic Stage Company’s offering of the 1943 Broadway musical “Carmen Jones,” which features a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and music from Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” marks the show’s first major New York revival in 75 years. Yet, while the elements for a classic melodrama are all there, the work ultimately suffers from a lack of subtlety and characterization.
The supporting cast of “Carmen Jones” as GIs and factory girls: (L–R) Andrea Jones-Sojola, David Aron Damane, Lawrence E. Street, Justin Keyes, Soara-Joye Ross, Tramell Tillman, and Erica Dorfler. The production is set in World War II in the American South. Joan Marcus
