A woman with the capabilities of turning a man into a lover, a deserter, a thief and a killer finds her fate sealed in a Tarot card.

The London City Opera will be performing a rendition of the opera Carmen at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Eisenhower Auditorium, in which a Spanish gypsy entices a young soldier away from his duty and falls in love with him.

Later, she is arrested for a stabbing, but the soldier's love for her allows her escape. Her soldier, Don Jose, is relinquished of his duty and runs off with the pack of gypsies after he defies a ranking officer.

During this turmoil, Carmen begins to fall in love with a bullfighter. She soon learns from a Tarot card reading that her time with Jose will end because both of them will die.

She attempts to end the relationship with Jose and pursue her newfound love. However, in his hysteria Jose kills her and then seals his doom. Carmen is set in the city of Seville, Spain in the early 19th century.

For the London City Opera, this will be their second appearance in State College. They first performed Die Fledermaus (The Bat) in 1999. The company has only been together for the past seven years, but they are rapidly gaining the reputation of a major touring opera company.

The opera Carmen is probably the most famous work of the composer Georges Bizet. Bizet was a gifted pianist and composer, although his life was cut short at the age of 36. Carmen was the last opera Bizet ever wrote. At its premiere in 1875, it was declared to be "colorless, undistinguished and unromantic." This threw Bizet into a deep depression and brought on a throat inflammation, which was followed by two heart attacks that led to his death.

On the night of his funeral, there was another performance of Carmen. It was declared a huge success and Bizet's genius was recognized a little too late.

Several critics have revered the opera as one of the greatest operas of all time. Peter Wray, press and public relations manager for the Center for the Performing Arts, believes it is "one of the best operas to see."

Tonight is the only chance to see the show in State College. Ticket prices are $38 and $28 for general admission, non-Penn State-student prices are $33 and $25, children 12 and under are $19 and $13. Penn State student tickets are discounted at $13 and $7 with a coupon that can be found at Eisenhower Auditorium.