March 24, 2004

Mozart's Magic Flute plays in
spring opera offering

California State University, Sacramento's Opera Theatre will bring fantasy to the stage with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's enchanting Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) opening at 8 p.m. Friday, April 16 in the University Theatre. Performances continue with a matinee Sunday, April 18 at 2:30 p.m., and again at 8 p.m., Thursday, April 22 and Saturday, April 24.

Liisa Anderson, left, Timothy Pastore and Brie Welch, cast members of Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute).

The opera will be sung in the original German and, for the first time in a CSUS opera production, feature English supertitles to assist the audience in following the story, according to director and CSUS professor Lynn Stradley. CSUS professor Leo Eylar will conduct the accompanying orchestra.

Set in an imaginary Egypt, the fairy-tale opera follows the trials of Prince Tamino, from a battle with a serpent to the search for an enslaved princess to ordeals of fire and water and ultimately to love. Along the way Tamino's sidekick, Papageno, leads his own misadventure to romance. With a magic flute to protect them, the pair move through a world where good and evil are not what they seem. It's a show with a complex plot that still has appeal to even the youngest of audience members.

"Although there is reason enough to present Die Zauberflöte for its entertaining story and wonderful music, the most important reason might be its theme," says Stradley. "The forces of darkness, The Queen of the Night and her entourage, come into conflict with the forces of light, Sarastro and Tamino, and eventually the Queen's daughter, Pamina. The representative of common folk - the bird-catcher Papageno - just wants to find a wife and lead a simple, peaceful life. It's about humanity seeking harmony and order in a chaotic world."

The production features a cast made up almost entirely of CSUS students, with many making their debuts in principal opera roles. Rich costuming and stage design round out the show.

Tickets are $15 general, $10 for students, seniors and members of the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance, and are available from the CSUS Ticket Office at (916) 278-4323 or Tickets.com. Group rates are also available.

For more information, call (916) 278-7980. Media assistance is available from CSUS public affairs at (916) 278-6156.

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