Mozart’s The Magic Flute returns with a special HD live from the Met presentation at the Salmar Grand on Saturday, Dec. 1.
Now a holiday tradition, and a perfect family holiday outing, Julie Taymor’s beloved production of Mozart’s enchanting fairy tale returns in its 90-minute abridged, English-language version.
Taymor, who brought The Lion King to Broadway, now brings dancing bears, flying birds and even a giant serpent vividly to life through her ingenious use of puppetry. Sung in English with English subtitles, it features Nathan Gunn, Ying Huang, Matthew Polenzani and Rene Pape, with Henry Bickett conducting.
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The Magic Flute is a sublime fairy tale that moves freely between earthy comedy and noble mysticism in a land between the sun and the moon. It was written with the clear intention of appealing to audiences from all walks of life. The story is told in a Singspiel (“song-play”) format characterized by separate musical numbers connected by dialogue and stage activity.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) died prematurely three months after the premiere of The Magic Flute. It was his last produced work for the stage. The remarkable Emanuel Schikaneder (1751 – 1812) was an actor, singer, theater manager, and friend of Mozart. He suggested the idea of The Magic Flute, wrote the libretto, staged the work, sang the role of Papageno in the initial run and even recruited his three young sons to join the roster.
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The composer and the librettist were both Freemasons and Masonic imagery is used throughout the work. Freemasons are a fraternal order whose membership is held together by shared moral and metaphysical ideals. However, the story of The Magic Flute is as universal as any fairy tale.
Taymor’s spectacular production captures both the opera’s earthy comedy and its noble mysticism. Imagine a prince and princess on a quest, a funny bird catcher who searches for love, a nasty queen with the appropriate high notes, a solemn basso voiced high priest, three ladies to the queen, three young spirits who appear at the right time to direct the action and a stunning chorus. Mozart’s divine music animates the action and transports viewers into a magical world via fantastic costumes and sets.
The Magic Flute revival will be shown at the Salmar Grand, starting at 9:55 a.m., with special pricing: $16 adults; $10 youth.
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