Zauberflöte

by W.A. Mozart
Performed: - Gustav-Adolf-Straße 2, 13086 Berlin, Germany, Jul 18 - Jul 19, 2019
Category:

It was a beautiful experience to direct DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE , Mozart’s behemoth of the German repertoire for the Berlin Opera Academy, an incredible place to prepare emerging international opera singers for the particular German opera world.

The location is the gorgeous Delphi theatre, empty save for one singer studying his part of Tamino, and another –  cast as Papagena – trying on the Queen´s costume. The ouverture goes into the first Allegro part and the company breaks into the space, their theatre, but now the location of a party.

What starts as a prank played on a nerdy colleague, scaring him with a stupid snake head from behind the bar, slowly grows in seriousness, as the performers, bit by bit, enter into the world of their roles. Relationships of their contemporary selves start to fray as the operatic “reality” takes over. When the night is over something has happened. DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE has happened and affected everyone with its power.

See a clip HERE!

CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor: Tom Seligman
Scenic Designer and Costume Supervisor: Katherine Hind
Scenic and Props Apprentice: Maianh Le
Costume Apprentices: Brett Rose & Iris Harmon
Apprentice Director: Arthur Makaryan
Assistant Directors: Lou Broult & Madeline Claire deBerrie

Stage Management: Bridget O’Brien

CAST
Pamina – Graciela Morales, Bonnie Frauenthal
Tamino – Joon Ho Pak, Chen Xu
Königin – Bryndis  Guðjónsdóttir, Jasmine Munns
Papageno – Paul Robert Hainey, Chris Head
Papagena – Grace Lerew, Lydia Brown
Monostatos – Fabian Düberg, Benjamin Hopkins
Sprecher – Pawel Slusarz, Bruno Sciaini
Sarastro – Bruno Sciaini, Pawel Slusarz
1st Dame – Mikayla Tate, Astrid Montén
2nd Dame – Victoria Hodgkinson, Thera Barclay
3rd Dame – Olivia Ericsson, Rebecca Cuddy
1st Kind – Jimin Park, Catarina Muoro
2nd Kind – Gloria Mojica, Ursula Searle
3rd Kind – Claudia Sosin, Ashlyn Taylor
Geharnischter Mann 1 – Benjamin Hopkins, Fabian Düberg
Geharnischter Mann 2 – Pawel Slusarz, Bruno Sciaini

Names first mentioned perform that role on the evening of Wednesday, July 17th, 19.30h, names second mentioned on Thursday July 18th, 19.30h.
Off-night singers are the chorus.

Photography: Benjamin Ray Miner and Detlef Kurth (Photos 13, 20)




Press

"Mozart's Die Zauberflöte is presented in the beautiful Delphi Theatre as a play within a play: We first see a group of young people, rehearsing an opera in everyday wear. One of the singers is struggling with the dialogue. And one of the female singers tries on a costume that isn't really hers. But who doesn't want to be the Queen of the Night for a night? But eventually the game turns serious and the story of Prince Tamino (Joon Ho Pak) and his beloved Pamina (Graciela Morales) begins. (...) I didn't know what to expect at Opernfest, it was my first time, but I'm absolutely bowled over! We will definitely admire these young talents in all the big opera houses in the world! Their voices are amazing, the Queen of the Night almost blew the audience off their seats! And due to the arrangement of the audience, we were very involved."
Nicole Haarhoff, Berliner Ansichtssachen