Arizona Opera's Steampunk & Magritte-Inspired MAGIC FLUTE Begins Tonight

Arizona Opera brings a brand new production of Mozart's The Magic Flute to the stage, tonight, February 27th and 28th at 7:30 pm and March 1st at 2 pm in Symphony Hall in Phoenix; and March 7th at 7:30 pm and March 8th at 2:00 pm in Tucson Music Hall, Tucson.

The production was conceived by Stage Director Daniel Rigazzi, who has worked for numerous seasons with the acclaimed Metropolitan Opera as an Assistant Stage Director. Rigazzi teamed with Scenic Designer John Pollard and Costume Designer Leslie Bernstein. New York based Pollard, known for his work in film and television, including a nomination for his work on American Gangster (2007), worked alongside Bernstein, whose credits include numerous productions in theater, off-Broadway, and work on the popular series, "Law and Order". Her stunning costumes feature mythical woodland animals, headpieces, armor, animatronic birds in cages and huge wings for the Queen of the Night.

The production is a magical, surreal world, set inside Tamino's imagination, and filled with allusions to dreams and the idea of nature vs science. The imagery, inspired by the paintings of René Magritte with a nod to Victorian-era "Steampunk" style, takes the audience to an exciting place where imagination and reality blend together for Mozart's masterpiece.

The cast features tenor David Margulis as Tamino, soprano Sarah Tucker as Pamina, baritone Chad Sloan as the bird-catcher Papageno and Lindsay Russell as the imposing Queen of the Night. Nicholas Masters rounds out the cast as Sarastro with Scott Terrell conducting. Children from the Tucson Boys Choir and Arizona School for the Arts will be joining the cast of The Magic Flute, filling roles of the three Spirits and the Papageni children. Full cast list and bios are available at www.azopera.org.

The Magic Flute Special Ticket Package for Families - Arizona Opera is offering a special Magic Flute Family Ticket Package, which includes 50% off tickets for kids/students (under 18 years), Dinner at Cibo Urban Pizzeria, a Commemorative Magic Flute poster and a free download of The Magic Flute Readers Theater, as performed by students from the Arizona School for the Arts. Phoenix Families: Visit www.azopera.org/flutefamily to take advantage of this offer. Tucson Families: Call 520-293-4336 for details.

DETAILS:

THE MAGIC FLUTE

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Sung in German with English supertitles.

Phoenix
February 27 and 28 at 7:30pm and March 1 at 2:00pm
Symphony Hall, 75 N. 2nd St., Phoenix

Tucson
March 7 at 7:30pm and March 8 at 2:00pm
Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church St., Tucson

Tickets: $25-$135 at www.azopera.org or by calling 602-266-7464 (Phoenix) or 520-293-4335 (Tucson).

Arrive at the theater one hour prior to curtain to attend a free lecture on The Magic Flute.

Complete synopsis, cast and production information available at www.azopera.org.

MAGIC FLUTE OUTREACH EVENTS:

MOZART STORY TIME
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6 AT 10 AM
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF PHOENIX AMPHITHEATER
Part actor, part singer and complete entertainer, join Arizona Opera's Education Manager Josh Borths for a Mozart Story time. Josh brings his original piece, The Magic Flute Reader's Theater, a 30 minute version of the adventures of Papageno and Tamino, the heroes of Mozart's Magic Flute.

INSTANT OPERA
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 AT 10 AM
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF PHOENIX AMPHITHEATER
Spend a wonderful afternoon of music and storytelling as kids join Arizona Opera's teaching artists to create their own opera. This fun, interactive program brings the magic of opera to life as the kids develop their own adventurous story and perform their mini-opera, all in a 45 minute program.

Download a coupon for $2 off admission to Children's Museum of Phoenix (Valid for Feb 6 and Feb 11) at www.azopera.org/arizona-opera-and-childrens-museum-phoenix-list-events.

OPERA DELL 'ARTE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015 - 10:30 AM
KERR CULTURAL CENTER Join us for a free music and lecture series at the Kerr Cultural Center. Get a detailed look at each opera and receive exclusive, behind-the-scenes information about our productions. This lecture series is ideal for all opera lovers- of all ages. Lectures begin at 10:30am at the ASU Kerr Cultural Center.

OPÉRATIF - THE MAGIC FLUTE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015 - 7:00PM
ARIZONA OPERA CENTER
Enjoy a glass of wine and discuss details of a main stage opera with General Director Ryan Taylor. Guests are invited "behind the scenes" to view a portion of the opera's final rehearsal at Arizona Opera Center. Registration is required. $25 per person, per event. Call 602.266.7464 or www.azopera.org

STUDENT NIGHT AT THE OPERA
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 AT 7:00PM
SYMPHONY HALL
This performance has been generously underwritten by JP Morgan Chase.
Student Night of The Magic Flute is SOLD OUT.
Special tickets are available for the final dress rehearsal of every mainstage opera. These nights are reserved specifically for students to get swept away by great music and stories- while enhancing classroom learning. For information on how to reserve future student nights visit www.azopera.org/studentnight or contact Joshua Borths at jborths@azopera.org.

Arizona Opera's Reader's Theater Series is a great way to introduce new audiences--of all ages--to the world of opera. This original adaptation of The Magic Flute was written by Education Manager Joshua Borths and is performed by 6th grade students from Arizona School for the Arts. Available for download at CD Baby.com or at www.azopera.org/readers. Cost is $3.

About Arizona Opera - Arizona Opera, now in its 44th season, is our state's only professional opera company that produces fully-staged opera performances, concerts, in-school touring productions, educational and outreach programs that reach over 70,000 school-children and adults annually. Since its inception, Arizona Opera has produced over 180 fully-staged operas and concerts. The company's artistic history is rich with a blend of opera's traditional repertoire featuring baroque, bel canto, and verismo works, turn-of-the-century masterpieces, operettas, and American operas. Arizona Opera has also presented Wagner's complete Ring Cycle twice, a feat that has been accomplished in North America by only five other companies. Founded in 1971, Arizona Opera is among only a handful of companies in the United States that regularly performs in more than one city.

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