UMass Opera to Present Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”

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The UMass Opera program in the department of music and dance will present Mozart’s classic opera, “The Magic Flute,” K. 620 on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium. The performances will be sung in the original German, but with English dialogue and supertitles projected above the Bowker Auditorium proscenium.

“The Magic Flute” was first performed in 1791, only a few weeks before Mozart’s untimely death at age 35.  His close friend, Emanuel Schikaneder, provided the libretto; the work stands today as one of the most beloved and frequently performed operas in the canon.

Students from the department’s Opera Workshop have been in preparation since last fall under the supervision of faculty co-producers Jamie-Rose Guarrine and Marjorie Melnick, who also provided the musical preparation. The production’s co-directors are Stephanie Carlson and Ellen Kaplan, with music direction by Mark Lane Swanson, and Tony Thornton, chorus master. This year’s choreography is by Michelle Erard, and costume design is by Nancy Horn.

Tickets are $15 for the general public and $5 for students, seniors and children through age 18. UMass students are admitted free.  Tickets may be purchased at the Fine Arts Center Box Office, by phone at 413-545-2511, or online.