Sin and Cigarettes

Festival Opera‘s summer season begins this week with a four-performance run of Bizet’s Carmen. Conducted by Bryan Nies, the perpetually popular opera about the factory worker who rolls cigarettes and men with equal disdain stars Adler Fellow mezzo Kendall Gladen (Carmen), New York City Opera tenor Ryan MacPherson (Don José), world-class baritone Eugene Brancoveanu (Escamillo), and soprano Rebecca Garcia (Micaéla). Saturday, July 7 at Walnut Creek’s Dean Lesher Center for the Arts. 8:00 p.m. (also July 10, 13, and 15), $36-$100. Tickets: 925-943-SHOW or FestivalOpera.com