by Jonathan Dean
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| Seattle Opera’s 2017 manufacturing of The Magic Flute, that includes costumes designed by Zandra Rhodes. Picture © Jacob Lucas |
The Magic Flute is likely one of the world’s favourite operas, and Seattle Opera has introduced it many instances—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 just lately (2017) in an eye-popping manufacturing with costumes by trend 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 advanced animated
projections. There isn’t actually any surroundings—only a wall (with numerous secret
doorways, so singers can seem in all kinds of places) that features 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. Picture © Jacob Lucas |
Opera has been utilizing projections for many years. However as computer systems and projectors have gotten extra refined lately, so has using 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 instances at theaters everywhere in 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 approach no one had ever seen it earlier than.
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| Tamino, Papageno, and the three women work together with animated projections. Picture © 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 correct place on the proper second so what they do
interacts correctly with the animation.
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| Papageno and his bird-catching cat. Picture © Komische Oper Berlin/Jaro Suffner |
As an 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
can 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 are actually arduous at work with revival
director Erik Friedman, who has labored on this manufacturing at many different opera
corporations. And we’ve put collectively a particular and expanded stage administration crew,
able to delivering the precision demanded by this manufacturing. We will’t wait
to seek out out what you consider it!
Right here’s some footage of what the present has appeared like at
different opera homes:
And click on right here to learn an interview (reprinted with form
permission of LA Opera) by which Barrie Kosky, Suzanne Andrade, and Paul Barrit
talk about 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. Study extra and purchase tickets at seattleopera.org/flute.
