Went to the opera last night. Saw Mozart's "Magic Flute" at the Peabody. Had a good time. "She Who Must Not Be Named" was greatly amused [she likes slapstick comedy].
It was a top-flight student production [well, that's what you expect from the Peabody] and it featured some outstanding talent. I was particularly impressed by Kathryn Guthrie as the Queen of the Night [she nailed the second aria] and Jihee Kim as Pamina [started weak but got stronger as the night progressed, by the end she completely overshadowed Tamino]. Jason Buckwater, who has a natural flair for slapstick, was very good as Papageno and got a lot of laughs, especially from SWMNBN. The stage design was superb, making full use of dramatic and exotic lighting effects. It even impressed a friend of ours who worked for years in New York theater and TV as a stage and set designer/dresser. And of course the concert orchestra under the direction of Hajime Teri Murai was excellent. All in all a terrific production, a visual and auditory feast.
Of course, you have to shut your mind off and ignore the racism and misogyny, the masonic mystery hoo ha, and a lot of enlightenment nonsense about universal fraternal love, perfect virtue and such silliness. But, what the hey, it's Mozart and you should never let mere rationality get in the way of a good time.
