蜜柚直播

Lahyani knows a thing about fate, and 鈥淐armen.鈥�

She was singing the title role in the production in summer 2016 opposite the Russian tenor as Don Jos茅 when cupid struck.

鈥淲e found very strong personalities in each other right away. It kind of struck us both; there is no way back. The fire was raging by the middle of the show run,鈥� recalled Antipenko during a phone call from Phoenix, where the couple was appearing last week in 蜜柚直播 Opera鈥檚 production of 鈥淐armen.鈥� The show comes to 蜜柚直播 Music Hall this weekend for two performance.

It will be the couple鈥檚 first time recreating their roles together since the Vegas run. They married four years ago and now have two daughters 鈥� a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old.

鈥淚t was meant to be,鈥� Lahyani says of the couple鈥檚 relationship. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny that it was fate, but 鈥楥armen鈥� is all about fate. This opera is all about fate. She is a great believer in fate and it was our fate, too. This opera means a lot to both of us and to our relationship in general so it鈥檚 very fun to do it together again.鈥�

The couple will be on stage together for the opening night performance on Saturday, Feb. 5, in what promises to be an exciting and emotional experience for the audience against a backdrop of some of the most beautiful music in the genre.

鈥淐armen鈥� is the story of the fiercely independent seductress who rebuffs her lover Don Jos茅 to her own peril.

鈥淐armen is the ultimate strong, independent woman. She鈥檚 a high spirit and a very strong, demanding woman. She is owned by herself and she reports to nobody and she makes her own decisions,鈥� Lahyani said of her character. 鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 care what people think of her. She is very authentic to herself. She doesn鈥檛 lead her life by society鈥檚 rules. She is very inspiring, but I also think that besides all her strong characteristics, she also is really fun. And I think she is super charismatic and super honest.鈥�

鈥淚 love my character. He鈥檚 straight but honest,鈥� Antipenko said of Don Jos茅.

And Don Jos茅鈥檚 got a little bit of a temper.

In 鈥淐armen,鈥� Don Jos茅 ends up 鈥� spoiler alert! 鈥� killing the love of the life when she rejects him, telling him to go home to mama and the woman everyone expects him to marry.

The opera is very physical and emotional for the performers and the audience, which is why Lahyani said she loves playing Carmen opposite her husband.

鈥淚 think because there is a great amount of trust on stage that you have in your stage partner that you need to have, especially in shows that are so demanding physically and so involved emotionally 鈥� there鈥檚 a whole level of comfort when it鈥檚 a husband and wife doing it,鈥� she said.

鈥淓very time we go on stage, we put aside Viktor and Maya and we鈥檙e just being two characters,鈥� Antipenko added. 鈥淥f course, the love scenes you do notice some difference when you can see people are comfortable. However, don鈥檛 judge hard the very end when I kill my wife. It鈥檚 not because I don鈥檛 love her. I love her to death.鈥�

Antipenko was quick to note that the rage you see on stage is no reflection to the couple鈥檚 home life.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 definitely highly professional stage performance,鈥� he said with a laugh.