by Jonathan Dean
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| Seattle Opera’s 2017 manufacturing of The Magic Flute, that includes costumes designed by Zandra Rhodes. Photograph © Jacob Lucas |
The Magic Flute is among the world’s favourite operas, and Seattle Opera has introduced it many occasions—as soon as in a captivating manufacturing by Maurice Sendak (of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker fame), as soon as in a whimsical model by British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, and most not too long ago (2017) in an eye-popping manufacturing with costumes by vogue legend Zandra Rhodes.
All of these had been conventional surroundings/costumes/lights
productions. The Magic Flute manufacturing we’re presenting this
season, nonetheless, depends closely on projections, together with complicated animated
projections. There isn’t actually any surroundings—only a wall (with a number of secret
doorways, so singers can seem in all kinds of places) that capabilities as a
projection floor. The projections create the numerous places demanded by the
story, and way more.
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| Seattle Opera’s 2018 manufacturing of The Flip of the Screw featured video projections all through the opera. Photograph © Jacob Lucas |
Opera has been utilizing projections for many years. However as computer systems and projectors have gotten extra subtle lately, so has the usage of projections in opera—witness Seattle Opera’s 2018 The Flip of the Screw or 2022 Tristan and Isolde. This projection-filled Magic Flute manufacturing has had a particularly profitable life since its delivery, in 2012 on the Komische Oper Berlin; it has now been introduced 75 occasions at theaters all around the world. Authentic stage director Barrie Kosky, working intently with Suzanne Andrade and Paul Barritt of 1927, a British manufacturing firm, designed a present which might interact spectators visually whereas telling the acquainted story of The Magic Flute in a manner no person had ever seen it earlier than.
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| Tamino, Papageno, and the three women work together with animated projections. Photograph © Komische Oper Berlin/Jaro Suffner |
Technically it’s a particularly difficult manufacturing, with
some 800 animated projection cues on prime of every part else in a typical Magic
Flute. The singers, after all, can’t see precisely what the viewers sees;
however they must be in the best place on the proper second so what they do
interacts correctly with the animation.
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| Papageno and his bird-catching cat. Photograph © Komische Oper Berlin/Jaro Suffner |
For example, Papageno is accompanied all through the present by
an animated cat (applicable for a bird-catcher, no?). Though the baritone
received’t see the cat, because it’s projected on the wall behind him and his eyes
might be ahead, so he can see the conductor, he must know precisely what
that cat is doing at each second within the present so their interactions will seem
real.
Our Seattle Opera singers at the moment are arduous at work with revival
director Erik Friedman, who has labored on this manufacturing at many different opera
firms. And we’ve put collectively a particular and expanded stage administration staff,
able to delivering the precision demanded by this manufacturing. We are able to’t wait
to search out out what you consider it!
Right here’s some footage of what the present has regarded like at
different opera homes:
And click on right here to learn an interview (reprinted with sort
permission of LA Opera) during which Barrie Kosky, Suzanne Andrade, and Paul Barrit
focus on their inspirations—silent movie, cabaret, and way more—for the
phantasmagoric visuals they created for The Magic Flute.
The Magic Flute is on stage February 22–March 9, 2025 at McCaw Corridor. Be taught extra and purchase tickets at seattleopera.org/flute.
