A Multimedia Extravaganza

It's too bad the word ‘opera’ is such a turn-off for young people. If I could have just convinced teens to watch the recent version of The Magic Flute playing at the Seattle Opera, their entire perspective on the art form would have changed, guaranteed. 

As I made my way through the opera house in search of my seat, I noticed that the audience was full of older adults. I was surprised by this, considering how every other performance that I’ve been to at McGraw Hall was seen by people of all ages. I suspect that this all has to do with the word ‘opera.’ The lights shut off, a spotlight hit the conductor, and the show began. For the next two hours, I was transported into a fairytale, but one infinitely more epic than your run-of-the-mill children's story.  

This version of The Magic Flute debuted in 2012 at the Komische Oper in Berlin. It spread beyond Germany to the U.S. to audiences of over one million people. Unlike the original production with lights and interchanging sets, this version incorporates a more modern element: animation. The videos are projected onto a wall on the stage. It is also from this wall that characters emerge clinging to its revolving balconies which they are strapped to for their safety. To complement the unique setup is the funky, playful, and equally unique animation style. With each revelation, the characters’ dialogue appears on the screen like something right out of the silent film era. Having different fonts for each character’s dialogue was an ingenious Easter egg that I really appreciated.

After the show, a Q&A session was held with Papageno (Rodion Pogossov) and conductor Christine Brandes. There, I got some insight into what it was like to be working on a highly technical show. As an actor, Pogossov admits it was a challenge to coordinate and interact with the projection queues. With practice and dramatic body language, his performance is seamless. Staying up to speed with the animation queues is also a concern for the musicians in the pit. These adaptations take immense skill and are just another testament to the uniqueness of this show. Whenever the projection wall felt too small to hold such a powerful moment, opera singers filled in the sides of the stage, stacked on top of each other; this felt like an homage to classic grand choir performances.

Overall, I think that this version of The Magic Flute is one-of-a-kind not just in the opera world but also in the performing arts world in general. The show was indulgently funny and I was entertained the whole time. As a theater kid myself, I marveled at the vocal capability of the singers in The Magic Flute. 

The Magic Flute is just as impressive off-stage as it is on stage, with over 800 video queues in the performance; all manually controlled by two individuals. One person follows the score telling the other person to click at the right time. This ensures that the tempo of the music lines up with the video queues. The original The Magic Flute was written in opera's classical period and, although this version is different visually, the music remains true to Mozart's work. Mozart's pieces are always beautiful, and The Magic Flute did not disappoint. Every aria had my jaw on the floor; every swell of the music had me inching closer to the edge of my seat, trying to get a better listen. To say that I was impressed would be an understatement.

Yet, something that didn’t sit quite right was the outdated nature of the views intertwined in the story. This piece was written in late 17th Century Vienna during the Enlightenment period. The Enlightenment period, simply put, was a time of intellectual and philosophical pursuits in Europe. It encompassed progressive topics like freedom, human rights, social standing, and other ideas. Unfortunately, these ideas were often biased against women and minorities. And although these views couldn't be further for my own, I can appreciate their presence as a sort of snapshot of 17th-century views. Plus, it’s important to note that if The Magic Flute did not include these elements, the story would be entirely different. In reviewing The Magic Flute, I learned that when going into a story with difficult themes, it's important not to dismiss them but acknowledge and understand the historical relevance. 

I watched the non-animated version of The Magic Flute at the McCaw Hall in 2017 and one element I wish had been present in this version as well was the vibrant costuming. In some scenes, they projected costumes onto characters, which was inventive, but most of the time characters stayed in a singular costume the whole performance. This was a missed opportunity for such an otherwise textured show.

Even so, The Magic Flute at the Seattle Opera was a delight to watch. There is just so much to like about this opera. As an audience member and critic, I can say that watching and reviewing this show was an emotional rollercoaster. I was impressed by the originality of the production and the talented artists who brought it to life. Even though I found myself frustrated with some themes in The Magic Flute, I was able to take a step back and understand why these elements were present in the show; and honestly I liked the show even more because of it. I too was scared of the word 'opera' until The Magic Flute.

Lead photo: Feb. 22 & 23 cast: Rodion Pogossov as Papageno in "The Magic Flute" at Seattle Opera. Photo: Sunny Martini.

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