The Atlanta Opera Closes its 30th Anniversary Season with a New Production of The Magic Flute
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Star-Studded Cast Includes Metropolitan Opera Stars Nicole Cabell, Sean Panikkar and Kathleen Kim 3/11/10 The Atlanta Opera closes its 30th anniversary season with a new production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's last opera, The Magic Flute, which opens on Saturday, April 24, at 8 p.m. Other performances will be on Tuesday, April 27; Friday, April 30; and Sunday, May 2. The Magic Flute follows the story of Tamino, an Egyptian prince, in his journey to find Pamina, the Queen's daughter, and rescue her from the sorcerer Sarastro. Armed with only a golden flute for protection, he must face trials of fire and water to prove his worth and win her heart in the end. Soprano Nicole Cabell, winner of the 2005 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, will sing the role of Pamina, and bel canto tenor Sean Panikkar will perform as the prince Tamino. Audience favorite Hugh Russell will return as Papageno after his success as Dandini in the Atlanta Opera's production of Cinderella in 2008. Israeli bass Denis Sedov sings Sarastro, and Korean-American coloratura soprano Kathleen Kim will sing the notoriously difficult role of the Queen of the Night. Returning as conductor will be Arthur Fagen, who conducted Akhnaten and The Flying Dutchman during the 2008-2009 season. A new coproduction with Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music, the specially designed set by C. David Higgins utilizes light-up symbols on children’s toy blocks, puppets and imaginary animals to convey a world of fantasy appealing to adults and children. The set plays a major role in conveying the story to the audience with its raised curtain, allowing the audience to see every set change and experience the magic of each transformation. The opera will be sung in German with English supertitles. Spoken dialogue will be in English. THE MAGIC FLUTE (DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE) Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder Sung in German with English Supertitles. Spoken
dialogue in English. New Production Previous Atlanta Opera Performance: 2003 Approximate Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes with 1
intermission Four Performances at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 8 pm Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 7:30 pm Friday, April 30, 2010 at 8 pm Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 3 pm Creative Team Conductor
Arthur Fagen Stage Director
Tomer Zvulun Set Designer
C. David Higgins* Costume Designer
C. David Higgins* Lighting Designer
Marie Barrett* Cast Tamino
Sean Panikkar* Pamina
Nicole Cabell* Papageno
Hugh Russell Sarastro
Denis Sedov* Queen of the Night
Kathleen Kim* Speaker
Jason Hardy Papagena
Rebecca Kier Monostatos
Adam Kirkpatrick 1st Lady
Amy Little 2nd Lady
Maria McDaniel 3rd Lady
Pamela Dillard Description An enchanting journey of love and self-discovery, the prince
Tamino and princess Pamina pass through several trials to find
each other. Fantastic characters, an evil Queen (with some very
high notes) and incredible music make The Magic Flute a family
favorite. New Production Concept David Higgins’ design is
a set, made of children’s toy blocks with fantastical light-up
symbols on each piece. Additional elements seamlessly present
the various locations of the opera: a colorful, enchanted garden
suddenly appears; a huge snake chases the hero outside the ruins
of a castle; three boys suspended by balloons appear from an
opening in the wall; lightning bolts shatter the back wall and
allow the Queen of the Night to magically appear. The set plays
a key role in the story-telling of the opera: all scene changes
take place with a raised curtain, allowing the audience to watch
as the scenery magically transforms. Inspired by the paintings
of Maxfield Parrish, the world of The Magic Flute is one of
innocent fairy tales and colorful children’s books. The
production also includes extensive use of different puppets and
imaginary animals: a giraffe and an oryx suddenly appear over
the hedge; a cheetah, a porcupine and a bear dance to the tunes
of the enchanted flute; flamingos and parrots are chased by
Papageno (the bird catcher) and a huge red snake with fiery eyes
envelops the set. The entire production is designed to create a
vibrant world of surprise and fantasy that will instantly appeal
to children and adults alike. TICKET INFORMATION Single Tickets $25 -$125 plus tax, convenience and venue fees Online -- Visit
www.atlantaopera.org By Phone -- Call 404-881-8885 or 1-800-35-OPERA In-person – Visit the Bank of North Georgia Box Office at the
Cobb Energy Centre (Mon-Fri, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2
p.m.; and one hour prior to a performance on day of show). Season Tickets Season tickets to The Atlanta Opera’s 2010-2011 season at the
Cobb Energy Centre are now available. Ticket prices for a
three-opera package including La bohème, Porgy and Bess, and
Così fan tutte range from $75 to $459 plus handling. Online -- Visit
www.atlantaopera.org By Phone -- Call 404-881-8885 or 1-800-35-OPERA In-person – Visit The Atlanta Opera Center at 1575 Northside
Drive NW, Building 300, Suite 350 (Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN MORE Opera 101 A class devoted to The Magic Flute will be held on Monday,
April 19, 7:00-8:30 p.m. at The Atlanta Opera Center, 1575
Northside Drive. Led by long-time opera connoisseur and
Honorary Board Member Carter Joseph, Opera 101 is a prep course
for the upcoming production. Patrons are introduced to a
history, background and story line of the opera. The
composer, librettist, key characters, musical theme and selected
arias are featured in an entertaining and interesting
multi-media presentation. Opera 101 is educational and
fun! Free but reservations are required – 404-881-8801. Pre-Opera Talks Free, fun and informative, Pre-Opera Talks occur one hour
prior to each performance in the John A. Williams Theatre at the
Cobb Energy Centre. Pre-Opera Talks help patrons gain
better understanding of the upcoming production through a brief
presentation about the setting, plot, characters, composer and
music. Reservations are not required and seating is
unreserved. Patrons must have a ticket for the specific
performance that follows. Opera Guide Download a complete study guide for The Magic Flute at
www.atlantaopera.org. Synopsis For a synopsis of The Magic Flute, please visit
www.atlantaopera.org. Evening at Emory -- Mozart’s Final Year and The Magic Flute At the start of 1791 Mozart was out of favor and neglected,
but by the end of the year he was back in a big way with more
work than even he could handle. During this course, veteran
opera instructor Carter Joseph will lead participants through
the last year of the famous composer’s life. Mozart was
astonishingly productive during this time, completing two
operas, his final piano concerto, and famous Requiem Mass among
other works. Tuition includes performance ticket to The Atlanta
Opera’s new production of The Magic Flute. Instructor:
Carter Joseph, founder of “Opera 101” Class Dates:
Tuesday, April 6, 2010, 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, 2010, 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Performance) Fee:
$160 For more information or to register, email
evening@emory.edu or call
404-727-6000. Master Class with Conductor Arthur Fagen Conductor Arthur Fagen leads a master class on Monday, April
26 at 3:00 p.m. in the Florence Kopleff Recital Hall at Georgia
State University, 10 Peachtree Center Avenue. Free.
For more information, call 404-413-5901 or visit
www.music.gsu.edu. Atlanta Opera Sponsors AT&T is the Atlanta Opera’s Season Sponsor. The
Atlanta Opera is proud to recognize its other corporate
partners: The Coca-Cola Company, the Official Beverage Sponsor
of The Atlanta Opera and Opening Night Performance Sponsor and
Zurich, the Official Insurance Sponsor of The Atlanta Opera.
Generous production support also has been provided by Dr. and
Mrs. James W. Bland, Bob and Cappa Woodward, the Sara Giles
Moore Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Knobloch, Jr., Martha
Thompson, the Atlanta Music Festival Association, Mrs. Harry
Willson and Ms. Barbara D. Stewart. About The Atlanta Opera
Founded in 1979, The Atlanta Opera is
currently celebrating its 30th anniversary season. Led by
Zurich General Director Dennis Hanthorn, The Atlanta Opera
strives to expand the experience of its patrons with memorable
and exciting opera performances reflecting the highest musical
and theatrical standards, while supporting community and
educational programs. The company also works to attract
the finest international, national, and regional singers,
conductors, stage directors and designers. Each season The
Atlanta Opera presents four productions with four performances
each at the Cobb Energy Centre. |
