Bizet's "Carmen" remains one of the most popular operas ever composed, a celebration of familiar music, colorful settings and a gritty plot that seems ever relevant.

Not simply a love story, it is a clash between cultures, a story of two people entering into a relationship based on conflicting expectations: his based on plans, duties, reputation and fulfilling promises; hers on spontaneity, freedom, charisma and manipulating the world to get what she wants. Each both loves and hates the other.

It is a relationship that begins obsessive, turns abusive and ends in murder — not something you would want to experience, but perfect opera fare.

For Hawaii Opera Theatre's production, director Karen Tiller assembled a lively, colorful production along traditional lines, centered on a strong cast. Friday's capacity audience, a measure of the opera's popularity, responded enthusiastically.

The success of this opera rests primarily on the title role — which requires not just a great voice, but also chemistry between Carmen and Don Jose — and on the opera's third main character, the chorus, all supported and interwoven through the music.

For Carmen, Tiller chose Leann Sandel Pantaleo — tall, striking, with a beautiful mezzo voice and good aim (when she threw the flower, she nailed Don Jose). Her voice, mid-sized, clear, with light, tight trills, seemed almost too nice for the rough-born, coarse and wild Carmen. Pantaleo's Carmen was more refined, and thus also more enjoyable to listen to and a more sympathetic character.

Historically, it is Carmen who destroys Don Jose, but in Tiller's version, it is Don Jose who is at fault — he is the one who misreads Carmen, who becomes obsessed and abusive.

Although there was only moderate chemistry between Pantaleo's Carmen and tenor Richard Crawley's Don Jose, Crawley's voice fit well, refined enough to represent his world and with the spinto edginess so necessary to his character. Crawley, who also sang in this season's "Manon Lescaut," was in full voice on Friday and sounded excellent.

Carmen and Don Jose are the intersection where their worlds meet and then clash, but it is the secondary leads who reveal their intended paths — the maiden Micaela, of civilization's ideals, steadfast, innocent and pure, speaking for home and family; and the bullfighter Escamillo, flashy, dangerous, arrogant and adored, of civilization's yearnings for a freer, less fettered life.

Donita Volkwijn, with her sweet, shimmery soprano, made a wonderful Micaela: Both voice and character were rock-solid. Bass-baritone Kelly Anderson stood apart as Escamillo: his voice was the only lead with a "covered" timbre and thus not an intuitive match for Carmen. The part lay a bit low for his voice, undermining the role's cocksureness, but Anderson had a vibrant, exciting voice mid-range.

Carmen's gypsy comrades — sung by Chiho Villasenor, Mary Chesnut Hicks, James Price and Jeremy Blossey — provided humor and color. All four are local artists and a joy to hear. Don Jose's army comrades were more staid in character, but strong singers: Zuniga, admirably sung and acted by bass Valerian Ruminski, and Morales, by Teppei Kono.

One of the strongest performers was the HOT Chorus, co-directed by Beebe Freitas and Nola A. Nahulu. In "Carmen," the chorus in all its permutations rivals the leads for presence, and on Friday, it shone. The Chorus' tone, balance, ensemble and acting were all excellent throughout, and the women's fight in Act I was so realistic, it drew worried murmurs.

The children's chorus, too, was charming and had a lovely, lovely sound. It was listed in the program as "Scelto" (Italian for "chosen"), the name of a Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus select group directed by Nahulu, although the group on stage seemed larger and more mixed in age than the HYOC group.

Whatever the name, the group was terrific. It would have been nice to have more information in the program.

Conductor Michael Ching worked magic, his light, crisp moves eliciting clarity and cohesion. Orchestra and singers sounded as one, their ebbs and flows synchronized, and the preludes sparkled, with wonderful solos by the bassoon before Act II, the flute echoed by clarinet before Act III and the oboe before Act IV.

Designer Peter Dean Beck used a single set dominated by a squared archway, dressed up to convey different scenes and surrounded by partial brick walls, a recurring theme throughout that spoke to the story's barriers and conflicts.

The set worked well for all but Act III, which became a "mountain hideaway" among civilization's ruins instead of the original "wild mountain pass" that reveals the gypsies' true domain, unfettered and fiercely free. The unmoving set constrained stage flow to fixed patterns, but director Tiller used those patterns effectively.

Beck's finest work was his detailed lighting, which became a powerful part of the storytelling, as when a narrow spotlight followed Carmen, creating the "all eyes on her" effect, and when the stage darkened intermittently, first as Carmen cast her spell and thereafter for its fatal consequences.