Opera Review
UW has fun tweaking Mozart opera

By Melinda Bargreen
Seattle Times music critic

CYNTHIA ST. CLAIR The two-story set, designed by Ann Bartek, gives plenty of scope for dramatizing the two-tier story in the University of Washington's imaginative, contemporary retelling of the Mozart opera "The Magic Flute."

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Nobody goes to "The Magic Flute" expecting the opera to make sense: It is a fairy tale, and a rather incoherent one, set to consistently wonderful music. Nonetheless, the new production at the University of Washington Opera has its own internal logic, in a show that's a bright and imaginative take on the Mozart classic.

Erich Parce, an operatic baritone familiar to Seattle Opera and Seattle Symphony audiences, is the stage director. He has brought the action forward to the present, with often hilarious results: Tamino is "attacked" by a toy rodent, not by a fearsome dragon, and the Queen of the Night's ladies are apparently engaged in the world's oldest profession. The gourmet food Papageno enjoys is a huge pile of French fries, hot dogs and other contemporary junk food, wheeled onstage in a shopping cart.

The two-story set, designed by Ann Bartek, gives Parce plenty of scope for dramatizing the two-tier story: the noble love of Tamino and Pamina, and the less lofty parallel characters, Papageno and Papagena. In the opera's finale, the former pair is bathed in light on the set's upper level, surrounded by the high-minded and idealistic brotherhood of Sarastro; the latter two are downstairs, mugging for the wedding cameras, frolicking around and planning to populate the area with their future offspring.

The costumes, designed by Niki Hernandez-Adams, are interesting, to say the least. Contemporary dress (Tamino shows up in a business suit) mixes with Hare Krishna-like robes for the brotherhood and a delightfully bizarre pair of birdlike outfits for Papageno and Papagena. The Queen of the Night gets a gorgeous pleated cape that spreads out like a peacock's display at the climax of her aria. Several cast members also clearly have been shopping at Headdresses R Us.

Opera review "The Magic Flute," Mozart opera in University of Washington Opera production, with Peter Erös conducting and stage direction by Erich Parce, Meany Theater, Wednesday night. Program repeats 7:30 tonight and 3 p.m. Sunday; $10-$20 (206-543-4880).

Holding all the music together with his usual patience, care and expertise is conductor Peter Erös, who guides the student musicians (they inevitably rush), cues everybody, and engineers all the tricky stops and starts of this score. Erös is a treasure.

The show is sung in English, which is sometimes intelligible, sometimes not (supertitles would have been a boon in several cases).

The opening-night cast was remarkably good. Stephen Rumph, a UW music faculty member, sang Tamino with ease, power, focus and commendable acting. His Pamina, Rachel McClelland (who alternates with Amy Padden), grew in strength to an artful and powerful second act. As Papageno, José Bernardo Rubio stole the show with an assured comic sense and a handsomely produced baritone. Hyun Joo Yang sang the Queen of the Night's death-dealing arias bravely; Teresa Lewis had a nice comic turn as Papagena, and Tom Freet's Sarastro was right on target. Jason Liu, Kari Ragan, Erika Nisbet, Maria Elena Armijo, Rochelle Martin, Tess Altiveros and Ava Trenga-Schein also turned in commendable work.

Melinda Bargreen: mbargreen@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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