Review: THE MAGIC FLUTE at LA OPERA

Suzanne Andrade and Barrie Kosky’s Magic Flute returns to LA Opera with a whimsical fusion of animations by Paul Barritt. The effect of the production is a bit surprising. Yes, as characters are revealed by revolving doors and interact with animations of barking dogs, Mozart’s music takes on a new life. Audiences laugh at cartoonish gags, and there are genuinely lovely images of young lovers surrounded by a field of flowers or imposing appearances of a humanoid arachnid as the Queen of the Night. However, these punctuations of moments that really work are buried in a lot of nebulous loops that ultimately register as screensavers.

If one is looking to have the story of The Magic Flute spelled out for them in simple terms, this production is excellent! However, I would hesitate to suggest this to anyone experiencing their first opera. Once the novelty wears off, the visuals of the show become a bit exhausting— fluttering fairies flap their wings and music notes fall from the sky in an unending torrent. It is simultaneously overstimulating and dull. By the intermission, I felt anxious to see someone move about the stage or to have a change of scenery— dynamic elements audiences can generally expect to see in a production of The Magic Flute.

The joviality of this score and the rich fantasy of these characters take a backseat to the projection design. I’m sure the performances are of a high caliber, but with everything going on on the screen, it is incredibly difficult to pay attention to the singers. I will always applaud directors taking big swings to bring opera to life in ways that are exciting and new in the twenty-first century. This production feels like a bit of a misstep, but it would not deter me from seeing another work by this team.

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