Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen. Photo / Supplied
What: MetOpera's Carmen
Where and when: Opens at Northcote's Bridgeway Cinema at 1pm on Thursday, and is playing throughout the country during March and April. See metopera.com for dates and times.
New Zealanders are guaranteed a special buzz at the latest MetOpera presentation, opening next week.
Richard Eyre's gripping production of Carmen not only scores full marks for the extraordinary teaming of Elina Garanca and Roberto Alagna as Bizet's ill-fated lovers; the testosterone-charged Escamillo is played by our own Teddy
Tahu Rhodes, seconded into the cast at just a few hours' notice.
Catching up with Rhodes in Sydney, I'm told "after the initial 10 to 15 minutes of adrenalin rushing through you, you don't have time get too terrified.
"There is an element of fear, but you have to get into performance mode," Rhodes says.
"And since this was an HD broadcast, I really wanted to be good and not let the production down."
Carmen is the most successful venture in four seasons of Metropolitan Opera HD screenings, with predicted ticket sales of 320,000.
Garanca's lithe gypsy heroine and Alagna's heart-wrenching Don Jose no doubt have much to do with its appeal.
Rhodes, who considers himself something of a veteran when it comes to playing Escamillo, was asked "not to be too flamboyant but to let the chorus be flamboyant for me".
"I see him as like a rock star," he says.
"When Escamillo appears, everyone else is in raptures, which allows his character to be far more understated."
In the company of such high-powered stars as Garanca and Alagna, not to mention Barbara Frittoli's Micaela - all of whom you meet for a quick backstage chat with Renee Fleming - Rhodes is one cool Colossus.
Yet he too catches fire in Act Three, duetting with Alagna, knives in hand.
"We met, shook hands and then did a quick fight rehearsal before we went on," says Rhodes, but it's obvious the French tenor has one ardent fan here.
"To sing with Alagna was a career highlight within a career highlight. He was so charming and supportive and gave out this great energy that was wonderful to feed off. What a beautiful voice, oh my goodness. His big aria, The Flower Song, was just divine."
My observation is the tenor seems so relaxed you are never aware of any processes behind the art.
Quite simply, he is the music.
"Therein lies a great lesson," Rhodes agrees. "It would be great to be able to have that capability."
During our conversation, it becomes obvious Rhodes fell completely under the spell of Garanca's Carmen, just as New Zealand audiences are bound to do. Nevertheless, he is quick to point out two later performances, playing opposite the Carmen of Olga Borodina, were "equally amazing for different reasons".
Too much the gentleman to compare his leading ladies, he admits Borodina was "maybe more earthy, but equally compelling and sexy".
I doubt if I will be the only one to have felt a surge of pride when Renee Fleming introduces Rhodes as a New Zealander.
It was "a big thrill" for Rhodes as well, who points out "there was quite a representation of New Zealanders working at the Met then, with myself, Dame Kiri and Sarah Castle".
The "wonderfully supportive" Sarah Billinghurst, the Met's assistant artistic manager, is added to the list.
"The Met is a really warm place to work," Rhodes says. "It's almost like a family."
