The Magic Flute

The Magic Flute
Central City Opera
Central City, CO
July 7 - August 5, 2018

The Magic Flute is one of Mozart's seemingly timeless operas. It is usually presented as a grand fantasy, however Central City Opera put their own spin on this production.

The performance was set in the early 1900's in the imagination of three boys whose imaginations created a blend of fantasy and their reality. At times it worked but in some moments it was a bit odd.

The show seemed to be slow to start as the ladies of the Queen of the Night were the governesses of the boys. While it was a clever twist, it lacked the fantasy element and revealed the character of the Queen of the Night earlier than it should have.

The appearance of the Queen through a picture was clever. She was every bit the glamorous apparition the audience wanted. Sorastro was equally impressive - appearing as a ringmaster of an antique circus. While that concept was an interesting one, it seemed strange to have ancient Egyptians mixed in at his temple was puzzling.

Pamina and Tamino were the typical hero and heroine. Papageno was a bit more original as an Aussie on an ostrich. But that initial gag did seem to get old after a while.

The performance I was was the young artists and this was a very strong group. Sorastro had a few snags in the opera, but the rest connected beautifully with the more experienced ensemble.

The show was enjoyable, if not spectacular. It was a creative interpretation of the show and fun to watch. But it lacked the wow factor of previous shows at Central City Opera.