Reviews
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AOC gives magical performanceBeautiful sets and strong singing make Magic Flute the epitome of opera.By Daniel Buckley
An alloy of uniformly strong, choice ingredients makes "Magic Flute" an invincible musical experience. Visually spectacular, dramatically charming and rapturously sung, the Arizona Opera production demonstrated the company’s post-"Ring" -cycle confidence and maturity as it left a packed Tucson Convention Center Music Hall house wowed and thoroughly entertained Thursday night. Putting on a fairy tale with giant serpents, epic forests and stone Egyptian temples poses monumental tasks. But, the combination of the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s compelling sets, Russell Stagg’s brilliantly radiant, constantly mood-shifting lighting design and Peter J. Hall’s sumptuous regal costumes transported the audience to a new plane of experience. The visual feast that greeted every curtain rise and entrance was just the start. Lutz Seelig’s staging (and it’s execution by the cast) was simply the best in a decade for the company. Meaningful, detailed and energetic without a trace of the wooden garbage that has been the Achilles’ heel of AOC for years, it built both serious and comedic elements with equal flair. Ultimately, none of the this would have meant squat were it not for a well-matched cast of superb vocalists and performers. Tenor James Miller’s Tamino was a noble romantic hero, both vocally and dramatically, delivering with rich, beautiful tone throughout. While David Darling fell a little short and the bottom-most extreme in the opening act, he quickly was up to speed, winning the crowd with the agility, grace, warmth, and strength of his voice. Moreover, his puckish Papagaeno was filled with side-splitting antics born of an innate flair for comedy. Soprano Julie Newell was likewise outstanding as Pamina, the kidnapped daughter of the Queen of the Night and object of Tamino’s affection. A strong singer of unfaltering tone, she infused her portrayal with a sense of Pamina’s torn pathos and abiding love for Tamino. Helen Todd chirped a bit sharp on occasion in the famous "Queen of the Night" aria, but her run through that coloratura obstacle course was far more sure-footed than blemished. Bass Jerome Hines likewise impressed with his solid vocal performance and commanding, authoritative presence as the high priest Sarastro. Similarly, the Three Ladies (Betty Allen, Korby Myrick, and Stephanie Marsh) made every instant on stage sparkle. The three young boys who played the Three Spirits (Tyler Wright, Andy Hamilton, and Justin Enrique) also blended voices in luminous, silvery harmonies. The sole weak link was Byron Dean Ryan’s lackluster, uninspired, detail-free conducting. Yet, despite having to put things on auto-pilot, the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra delivered, rounding out a superb night.
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The Magic Flute (Synopsis) |
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