California State University, Northridge’s Departments of Music and Theatre have joined forces to reinvent George Bizet’s opera, “Carmen.” The students’ collaboration will premiere at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31 in the Great Hall of the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC). Faculty director Maurice Godin will be directing this first student-performed opera in the VPAC.

Bizet’s last opera is transformed into a modern-day tale of passion and jealousy. The students reimagined the tale of Don Jose and the fiery gypsy, Carmen, on the U.S./Mexican border and added contemporary issues of human trafficking to modernize the classic opera.

“It’s a robust new perspective on a very classic opera,” said William Taylor ’97 M.A. (Theatre), public affairs and communications specialist and faculty in the Department of Theatre.

“Carmen” will be opening Halloween weekend to coincide with the production’s Dia de los Muertos (Mexican Day of the Dead) theme. The opera will be sung in the original French, with English supertitles. The student performers will be accompanied by a live orchestra led by John Roscigno, director of orchestral studies at CSUN.

In addition to the opening performance on Halloween, there will be two performances Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and a closing matinee performance at 2 p.m. Nov. 2. General admission is $25, $15 for students and $21 for faculty and staff.

The 1,700-seat Valley Performing Arts Center has established California State University, Northridge as a hub for culture and performing arts. For more information, contact the Valley Performing Arts Center at http://www.valleyperformingartscenter.org/..