By Lee Teply Virginian-Pilot correspondent ©November 9, 2013
The Virginia Opera’s new production of one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s masterpieces, “The Magic Flute,” opened Friday evening at the Harrison Opera House. The opera is a mix of serious and comic elements, and of high and low culture. This production widens the scope by adding modern touches and language to the ancient, or perhaps timeless, story.
While there is much in the production that is quite traditional, stage director Michael Shell has imposed his concept that the story is the dream of a contemporary couple. With the overture and the opera’s final pages used to frame the dream with dramatic staging, Mozart’s important musical frame was completely overshadowed.
“The Magic Flute” is classified as a “Singspiel,” which combines music with improvised spoken dialogue that often touches on the social issues of the time. To Kit Hesketh-Harvey’s clever English translation, Shell added updated, appropriate dialogue.
But some choices were debatable, provoking lively discussion during intermission and at the end. The Three Ladies as a ‘60s pop group, the heavily tattooed Monostatos – even the sunglasses – all got strong reactions. It was curious that opinions on the various singers did not seem to draw as much discussion.
Too bad, because there were some first-rate singers/actors. The lead pair of Tamino and Pamina, sung by tenor Matthew Plenk and soprano Nadine Sierra, was excellent. Convincing as young lovers, they both sang with a sincere expression that fit Mozart’s music. Their warm timbre and smooth, elegant lines suggested both innocence and inner strength.
Experiencing love in a more basic and physical way, the Papageno/Papagena pair of baritone David Pershall and soprano Amanda Opuszynski had strong singing and acting skills. Their robust sound matched their youthful energy. With the much bigger role to play, Pershall showed more sides of his personality, drawing audience empathy.
The final pair, the parental figures of Sarastro and the Queen of the Night, bass Kenneth Kellogg and soprano Heather Buck, was weak in comparison. His voice, while smooth and deep, did not have the necessary authority. In her first aria, Buck sounded too sweet, too soft to have much impact. Placed downstage for her second aria, she got much better results.
As Monostatos, tenor Ryan Connelly was clear and bright, perhaps a bit too pleasant for such an overly-tattooed oddball. The Three Ladies – soprano Natalie Polito and mezzo-sopranos Courtney Miller and Sarah Williams – always synchronized in their movement.
Conductor Mark Russell Smith maintained excellent musical balance between pit and stage, getting clear details from the members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
Rounding off the high-level production values were the traditional scenic design of Troy Hourie, along with Marie Anne Chiment’s lavish costumes and Driscoll Otto’s dramatic lighting. About the quality of these elements there was little disagreement at intermission. That “concept” question, however, dominated discussions, stirring good, thoughtful debate, if not agreement.