Carmen Cubana

Santiago de Cuba, August 1994 and the traditional „festival of fire“ is being wildly celebrated in the streets / FIESTA DEL FUEGO.

Lilas Pastia, a bar owner and „Godfather“ of Santiago is the perfect host and tends to everyone's needs. Carmen takes to the stage with her friends Mercedes and Francesca- it is the biggest event of the year.

A short while later on the Cuban coast, whilst the festival is still in full swing, Carmen, her cousin Carlos, and friends Tito, Juan and Pepe are preparing to leave Cuba by boat and flee to America. Lilas, knowing that Carmen can only ever hope to fulfill her dream of becoming a singer in America, had faultlessly organised their escape. The small group makes its emotional farewells to their nearest and dearest, and clambers onto the home-made boat, hoping of a better future awaiting them in America / BE THIS WAY

The journey doesn't last long. The boat breaks up under the enormous waves. Carmen nearly drowns and Tito is badly injured. The American coast guard rescues them, and they are brought to the naval base in Guantanamo Bay / THE LAUNCH

Two months later. The refugees have settled into the camp. Homeless in their own country and caught between the two worlds / BACK TO CUBA

While the soldiers are building to expand the refugee camp, Carmen tries to get Joe's attention. She provokes him, entertaining her fellow countrymen as she does so. The more he ignores her, resisting her seductive advances, the more she is determined to win his attention. She throws him a rose, which he manages to retrieve unobserved by his colleagues / HABANERA

Joe's army comrades try to cajole him into responding to Carmen teasing, but she does not fit into his plans for the future: He intends to pursue a career in the airforce as a pilot, and marry his childhood sweetheart / LENA

Whilst taking a shower, Carmen gets provoked by another Cuban refugee, Alicia. At first, Carmen tries to calm the situation, but things get quickly out of control when Alicia calls her a whore. Patrolling soldiers separate the fighting women. Carmen has bitten her rival in the cheek, and is escorted to Sergeant Cooper's office by Joe. Once again she tries to entice him, hoping that he will help her escape.

Carmen gets interrogated by Sergeant Cooper. Joe also gets challenged, as he relays his account of what happened heavily in Carmen's favour. When Cooper and Carmen are alone, we discover they have a common past. He propositions her, but she proudly rejects him.

Carmen sits in a waiting room, whilst Joe guards the door. He knows nothing about this woman, who has thrown him into utter confusion / WHO IS SHE?

Carmen calls Joe into the waiting room. He releases her from her handcuffs, and they fall into each other's arms / THE SEDUCTION

During a change of duty shifts, Joe manages to smuggle Carmen out of the camp, and before leaving she tells him to come to Lilas Pastia's bar. Joe is arrested. Carmen has embedded herself in his heart like a thorn from a beautiful rose. Joe realises with both despair and passion the love he feels for this woman, who has brought such unexpected emotional chaos into his otherwise orderly life / THE ROSE SONG

A month has passed. Lilas Pastias` bar is buzzing with business, and his guests lack nothing as they drink, dance and smoke to excess / LILAS PASTIA´S

Carmen's successful escape means she is back working at the bar. Mercedes and Francesca tell her of their plan to go on tour with the famous Cuban pop singer Escamillo as background singers. But Carmen does not want to leave. She is waiting for Joe.

Sergeant Cooper is not only a good customer in Lilas´ bar, but also involved in some dubious business deals with him. Carmen struggles to be polite with Cooper, who consistently harasses her. He tells her of Joe's dismissal from the army base, just as Escamillo, his manager Rum and Morales are entering the bar. Escamillo is rapturously received as he takes to the stage and sings / BE MY LADY focusing all his attention on Carmen as he performs. He invites her to accompany him on his tour of Cuba. She gives him the cold shoulder. Rum, Mercedes and Francesca try to persuade Carmen to change her mind and join the tour by describing the enthusiastic crowds that would await her in Havana and maybe even in the US, celebrating her triumph as a famous singer / AWAY

But Carmen's thoughts are with Joe. She has made her decision, that even if she was given a second chance, she would still love only him / IF I HAD TO DO IT ALL AGAIN The bar is empty and Joe turns up unexpectedly. They are both overwhelmed to see each other again. Joe cannot stay long, but she will not let him go. At an intimate moment, Sergeant Cooper bursts in on them. He provokes Joe's jealousy and a fight ensues, in which Sergeant Cooper loses his life. Lilas immediately takes care of the problem and organizes Carmen and Joe's escape.

In the three weeks which have elapsed since the incident at the bar, Joe and Carmen have moved from Santiago de Cuba to a small apartment in Havana, Lilas´ “love nest”. This is where Carmen grew up. Lilas took her in and looked after her after she stole his watch when she was a little girl.

Carmen won't tell Joe where she is going, as she prepares to go out, leaving apartment alone wearing a very seductive dress. She heads for Escamillos concert and is received in the VIP area by Rum. She is very impressed by Escamillos´ performance. Once again, he can't take his eyes off Carmen / TE QUIERO

After the show, Rum and Carmen talk business. He wants her to accompany Escamillo to all his press conferences and receptions and spend time with him privately too.

Lilas, Mercedes, Francesca and some friends go to Lilas apartment after the show to carry on the party. Joe is surprised by their arrival, and knows nothing of the concert which has just taken place, which Carmen's excited girlfriends relay to him. He is overwhelmed. Lilas tries to reassure him, but when Carmen arrives home their two worlds collide. She tries to explain the situation / Reprise IF I HAD TO DO IT ALL AGAIN

In the next door room the party is in full swing / AZUCAR

The girlfriends are laying out tarot cards. Its Carmen's turn, and with every card which is revealed, her destiny is made clear. There is no way out for her; the cards are absolute. She knows what she has to do and leaves the house / FATE

Carmen arrives at Escamillo's hotel and wants to go to him. His manager Rum stops her to make the situation clear to her and dangles the hotel room keys in front of her nose / NOTHING IS FOR FREE

Shortly after Carmen goes up to Escamillo's room, Joe shows up at the reception and gets ambushed by Rum, who in a very underhand way tells him which room and what predicament he can expect to find Carmen and Escamillo in. Joe bursts into the room and catches Carmen and Escamillo in an embrace. There is a confrontation at the end of which Carmen and Escamillo leave the room / TOO LATE FOR LOVE

Everyone's fate is sealed. Luck has changed and love has become twisted. The final chapter is about to begin. Love fights fate, but cannot win / GREEK CHORUS

Carmen is introduced to the press by Escamillo and her first live TV appearance as a solo singer is a huge success / GOOD GOOD LOVIN'

Joe tries to find Carmen. He hasn't slept for the last two days and is dazed and confused. His ordered life has gone completely off the rails, and he is still obsessively in love with Carmen / SAD SONG

Carmen and Escamillos´ first concert together takes place in Havana. The atmosphere is fantastic and the new “dream team” of the music business is born / IT`S MY LIFE

Joe watches the performance from the audience and fights his way backstage.

The final confrontation between Carmen and Joe has arrived. Carmen knows what fate the tarot cards have predicted for her. Joe tries to persuade her to leave everything behind and go away with him and become his wife. She rejects him brutally. While they are embracing, he declares his love for her. Suddenly he has a knife in his hand...../ FINALE

Joe holds the dying Carmen in his arms, and they are closer than they ever were / EPILOGUE (CARMEN IS DEAD)