Seattle Opera’s Magic Flute Defies Expectation (Review)

Mozart’s The Magic Flute is one of my favorite operas. I love the music, the spectacle, the over-the-top craziness of it all. It’s never made any sense to me, and I couldn’t care less: it’s Mozart! Right?

Seattle Opera’s 2011 production of The Magic Flute (through May 21; best ticket availability May 18 & 20) defies expectation by taking Emanuel Schikaneder’s libretto at face value. Instead of a carnival romp of mystical forest creatures and fantastic effects that bear little to no relation to the text, Seattle’s Flute is fairly restrained, dominated by the Masonic imagery and ideals evoked by the libretto.

It turns out that both Mozart and Schikaneder were Freemasons! Who knew? In response, General Director Speight Jenkins and Stage Director Chris Alexander have chosen to emphasize the symbols and images of ancient Egypt, newly rediscovered in the 18th century.

The result is a production that succeeds on an entirely different level than the usual Flute: it makes (almost) perfect sense as an allegory of the battle between reason and superstition, the core conflict of Mozart’s era.

On a more practical level, the simple pyramidal scrim which forms the primary set piece allows the actors to dominate the stage. This is a good thing when it comes to Emily Hindrichs as Queen of the Night, and Philip Cutlip as Papageno; Cutlip fully understands both the humor and pathos of Papageno, while Hindrichs’ voice soared.

Unfortunately, John Tessier, as Tamino, was dull as dishwater. The role, despite being central to the story, is not the most interesting, and Tessier could bring nothing to it. In fact, since Tamino shares so much stage time with Papageno, Cutlip consistently outshone the “star.”

Conductor Gary Thor Wedow displayed a fine control over the orchestra from the outset. The overture rose by degrees, luring the audience in, as an overture ought to do. Chris Alexander evoked charm, humor, and mysticism from the cast.

Robert Schaub, who has served as Technical Director of the Seattle Opera for two decades, worked with Robert Dahlstrom to create the daring scenery which framed the show, in Schaub’s set design debut.

And last, but not least, British couturier Zandra Rhodes designed the often whimsical costumes, in her own Seattle Opera debut, although Rhodes has costumed several operas elsewhere, as well as dressing Jackie O., Princess Di, and Freddie Mercury (when they were alive, one presumes.)

The Seattle Opera is not known for being wildly innovative, but Speight Jenkins has consistently produced shows that are crowd-pleasing for classicists, yet creative enough to attract a younger audience.

It’s a difficult line to walk, but the number of filled seats in the house is a testament to the success of his strategy. Seattle Opera continues to thrive, when other local theatre outlets have struggled, and this production of The Magic Flute is an excellent demonstration of the reason why Seattle Opera is able fill all those plushy seats.