THE MAGIC FLUTE Returns to The Met, 12/21

Julie Taymor's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute returns to the Met as this season's special holiday presentation beginning December 21 at 11 a.m.  The 100-minute English-language version of the opera is specially priced to appeal to families and will have five matinees and three evening performances, running throughout the holiday season.

Baritone Nathan Gunn reprises his popular interpretation of the comic birdcatcher Papageno, as seen in The Met: Live in HD transmission of the opera in 2006. The cast also includes 2010 Beverly Sills Award winner Susanna Phillips as the innocent Pamina; Russell Thomas as the prince Tamino; Erika Miklósa as the wicked Queen of the Night; and Morris Robinson as the mysterious and powerful Sarastro. American conductor Erik Nielsen will lead the performance in his Met debut.
The holiday presentation of Taymor's "magical" (The New York Times) production features an English translation created for the Met by poet J. D. McClatchy. All matinee performances begin at 11 a.m. to accommodate families with children. The abridged production is "certain to enchant youngsters...especially when combined with Mozart's brilliant music" (Times). The Associated Press, writing about the family Flute's premiere, said that "judging by the masses of smiling children who streamed out onto Lincoln Center Plaza, opera may have just gotten an influx of younger fans."
For the December 29 performance, Ying Huang will sing the role of Pamina,  Audrey Elizabeth Luna will make her Met debut as the Queen of the Night, and John Moore will sing his first Met Papageno. Bruce Sledge will make his Met role debut as Tamino on December 29 and also sing the role on January 6. The production features  scenic design by George Tsypin, costume design by Julie Taymor, lighting design by Donald Holder, puppet design by Julie Taymor and Michael Curry, and choreography by Mark Dendy.
 
            
Live Broadcasts Around the World
The Magic Flute will be experienced by millions of people around the world this season on the radio and on the internet, through distribution platforms the Met has established with various media partners.
The December 21 opening performance (an 11 a.m. matinee) will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78 and XM channel 79, as will the 8 p.m. performance on January 6. 
The December 21 performance will also be available via internet streaming at the Met's web site www.metopera.org. 
 

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