THE HANGOVER REPORT – A fresh, young secondary cast of THE MAGIC FLUTE injects life into the Met’s holiday presentation of the Mozart favorite

Kathryn Lewek in the Metropolitan Opera’s holiday presentation of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” (photo by Richard Termine).

Fantastical spectacle aside, Mozart’s The Magic Flute is a strange opera for family holiday consumption — which is exactly how the Metropolitan Opera has marketed and programmed the popular singspiel. Even condensed at just under two hours without an intermission, the Mozart favorite is still a long uninterrupted sit for most adults — let alone impatient children — and its dabbling in cultish brotherhood and spiritual hazing are likely to fly over the heads of younger audience members.

Luckily, the music-making was fantastic at the performance I attended (there are two casts that share the opera’s primary roles), starting with maestro Gareth Morrell’s spirited and balanced conducting in the pit. In the central romantic roles of Pamino and Pamina, tenor Joshua Blue and soprano Liv Redpath both gave stylish vocal performances that brought depth and dignity to their portrayals. Other standouts included charismatic baritone Alexander Birch Elliott — in robust voice — in the scene-stealing role of Papageno, as well as formidable bass James Creswell as Sarastro. Last but not least as the Queen of the Night was soprano Kathryn Lewek — a veteran in the role — who continued to dazzle with her impassioned vocal histrionics. All-in-all, the young, fresh set of performances boded well for the future of this most lavish of art forms. 

Having just unveiled Simon McBrney’s less colorful production last season, the Met has made the interesting and smart decision to retain Julie Taymor’s beloved staging for its holiday presentation of the opera. Even at almost two decades years old, the production continues to awe with its scale and imagination — much like her long-running Broadway hit The Lion King, which continues to slay at the box office. Even if this “family-friendly” version seems a tad rushed, there nonetheless remains plenty of theatrical riches to savor.

RECOMMENDED

THE MAGIC FLUTE
Opera
The Metropolitan Opera
1 hour, 50 minutes (without an intermission)
Through December 30

Categories: Music, Opera, Other Music

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