Word: magical
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Magic Flute...
FOLLOWING THE inauspicious debut of wunderkind Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic Flute in 1791, the music critic of the Berlin Musikalisches Wochenblatt remarked that the opera had "not won the much hoped for and expected acclaim, on account of its inferior text and subject matter." Even so, the magical spectacle and symbolism that makes up what is perhaps Mozart's most popular opera continues to win the hearts of many music-lovers and theater-goers alike. That is, when the opera is performed well, which is definitely not the case at the Lowell House Opera's current rendition...
Mozart's idea of a grown-up fairy tale, The Magic Flute opens with the fair-haired Tamino, a self-proclaimed lost "son of royalty," being overtaken by a ferocious fire-breathing evil serpent represented in this production by some sort of kite. Fainting at such a sight, Tamino is saved by three bewitching and mysterious ladies--messengers of the "star radiant" Queen of the Night, who will continue to play a large role in Tamino's life...
...Queen, it seems, has chosen Tamino to help her retrieve her beautiful daughter Pamina from the evil clutches of the Sorceror Sarastro, the Queen's devilish adversary. Setting out for Sarastro's palace with comedic bird-catcher Papageno for company and a magic flute to charm away all evils, Tamino eventually finds Pamina unscathed and virtue intact but ready for love once the right man has come along...
Overall, the Lowell House's production of the Magic Flute is long, but fun. Starting late and running a bit over three-and-one-half hours, Thursday night's productions had quite a few pitfalls (including what amounted to over half-an-hour of set moving!) which just could not be righted by the few winning performances it produced. Spend five dollars instead and go see Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman's 1976 version of The Magic Flute--definitely more vocal magic for your money...