Production is 'a great first opera'
SYRACUSE — People who may be a bit hesitant about attending an opera may find some magic in the first production of the 2008-09 Syracuse Opera season.
"It's a great first opera," Catherine Wolff, general and artistic director of Syracuse Opera, said about "The Magic Flute."
"It does have tunes that people will find familiar because they've been used in advertising," she said. "If that's not the case, they are very hummable melodies."
And then there are the giant puppets.
"The Magic Flute" — at 8 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at John H. Mulroy Civic Center Theater — is a mixture of drama and comedy and a revival of Syracuse Opera's 2003-04 production. Like then, it is also working with Open Hand Theater Inc., Syracuse.
Open Hand Theater is a professional repertory group that produces original productions and works with schools in providing performances, workshops and artist-in-residency programs.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1712-92) composed the two-act "The Magic Flute," first performed in Vienna in 1791. It's largely about the forces of good versus evil set in a magical kingdom.
Geoffrey Navias, artistic director of Open Hand Theater, said Mozart worked with a small baroque theater for the original "Magic Flute." The stage contained hidden trap doors and stage effects like fire and mechanical flying devices.
"Mozart's performance of 'The Magic Flute' was playful, silly, passionate, reverent and fun — not for the high and mighty but for the everyday Joe, a celebration of life," Mr. Navias said in response to e-mailed questions. "The puppets allow us to go from the comic, small and delightfully silly, to the majestic and spectacular."
Even though "The Magic Flute" was presented by Open Hand Theater before, Mr. Navias said, it still has challenges.
"The challenge in remounting a production is in finding the quality of what we had accomplished, with vitality and new insight," he said. "It was also great fun to build some new puppets for this production."
In the opera, good is represented by Sarastro, the High Priest of the Temple Sun, and evil by the Queen of the Night.
Prince Tamino falls in love with a portrait of Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night. But Pamina is being held captive. Tamino is sent on a quest, accompanied by a magic flute, to free Pamina. Papageno, aided by magic bells, joins him on the quest.
"The Magic Flute" will be sung in English with projected English subtitles.
"There's a little bit of something for everyone," said Ms. Wolff. "There's simple, easy to understand characters, ranging to those with more depth and psyches."
The cast includes Emily Hindrichs as Queen of the Night; Malinda Haslett as Pamina; Matthew Chellis as Tamino; Jimi James as Papageno; Eric Johnson as Sarastro, and Michael Connor as Monostatos.
John Di Costanzo will conduct the Syracuse Opera Chorus and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.
"The Magic Flute" is one of three productions for the 2008-09 Syracuse Opera season.
'ROMEO AND JULIET'
"Romeo and Juliet" by Charles Gounod (1818-93) will be performed March 6 and 8. The three-act opera will be sung in French with English subtitles.
The ending of the Gounod opera is the one scene that differs significantly from the Shakespeare play. When Juliet awakes, Romeo is still alive. The lovers have one last encounter and one final duet before Romeo dies and Juliet follows suit.
'LITTLE WOMEN'
Since its 1998 premiere by the Houston Grand Opera, Mark Adamo's "Little Women" has joined the short list of most produced American operas. Mr. Adamo based his two-act opera on the classic novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott that is set during the Civil War.
Syracuse Opera will present "Little Women" May 1 and 3. The opera focuses on three central events experienced by the March sisters: Meg's wedding, Laurie's infatuation with Jo and Beth's death.
