"The standout this evening was Ben Werley, a young tenor who richly developed the role of Don Jose His muffled passion is inflamed early on by jealousy. When Escamillo arrives at the gypsy camp in the mountains, and Carmen declares herself to him, Don Jose takes her between his knees as he holds her to the ground, and throttles her. Carmen does not have a future. This is clear even before she is dealt death by prophetic Tarot cards." ​ "Werley’s lines are lyric, but his huge