Damascus, (SANA) – The first performance of the opera The Tragedy of Carmen will debut on Tuesday at the Damascus-based Dar al-Assad Opera House.

The opera is organized by the French Cultural Center and Dar al-Assad for Culture and Arts, with the financial support of the European Commission in Syria. The project is also supported by Total Syria, and "Music in Me" Foundation.

The Tragedy of Carmen is an adaptation of the famous Carmen opera by Georges Bizet, and is directed by Syrian artist Jihad Sa'ad and conducted by French conductor Sylvain Gasançon.

The cast includes Sylvie Althaparro in the role of Carmen, David Lefort as Don José, Rasha Rizk as Micaela, Chadi Ali as Escamillo, Adnan Abou al-Chamat as Zuniga, Kamel Najma as Lilas Pastia, and Jihad Sa'ad as Garcia. The dances are performed by Sima troupe with choreography by Ala'a Kreimid.

H. Sabbagh, Ahmad Fathi Zahra