THE KENNEDY CENTER Presents:

Washington National Opera: The Magic Flute

A love-struck prince sets out on a fantastic adventure to rescue the Queen of the Night’s daughter in Mozart’s final opera. This “zesty and imaginative new production” (San Francisco Chronicle) is certain to captivate audiences of all ages.

• May 3 – 18, 2014
• Opera House
• Approx. 3 hours

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s
The Magic Flute
(Die Zauberflöte)
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
New production
Co-production with San Francisco Opera Association, Opera Omaha, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Opera Carolina
 
A prince’s quest leads to love at first sight–but to prove his worth in marriage, he must first survive trials of wisdom and devotion. Lost in a faraway land, young Tamino is enlisted by the Queen of the Night to rescue her lovely daughter Pamina from the hands of Sarastro, an evil sorcerer. With the aid of a magic flute and the bumbling, lovelorn Papageno by his side, Tamino sets out on a fantastic adventure filled with danger and temptation, culminating in one final test at a mystical temple.
 
Mozart’s final opera, The Magic Flute is simultaneously a delightful fairy tale and a profound reflection on spiritual enlightenment. Sung in English–and featuring a colorful kaleidoscope of sets and costumes by Japanese American artist Jun Kaneko–it’s also a perfect opera for the entire family. American director Harry Silverstein, whose The Marriage of Figaro wowed WNO audiences in 2010, directs an attractive young cast, many in their WNO debuts. Conducted by WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin, this “zesty and imaginative new production” (San Francisco Chronicle) is guaranteed to captivate audiences of all ages.
 
“A feast for the eyes, a feast for the ears… a masterpiece of conception and execution!”
–Opera Today

The Queen of the Night: Kathryn Lewek (5/3, 8, 11, 15, 18), Anna Siminska (5/5, 7, 10, 17)
Pamina: Eri Nakamura (5/5, 7, 10, 17), Maureen McKay (5/3, 8, 11, 15, 18)
Tamino: Joseph Kaiser (5/3, 8, 11, 15, 18), Paul Appleby (5/5, 7, 10, 17)
Papageno: Joshua Hopkins (5/3, 8, 11, 15, 18), Kostas Smoriginas (5/5, 7, 10, 17)
Sarastro: Soloman Howard (5/5, 7, 10, 17), Jordan Bisch (5/3, 8, 11, 15, 18)

May 16: Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance (Casting TBD)

Conductor: Philippe Auguin
Director: Harry Silverstein
Lighting Designer: Paul Pyant
Set & Costume Designer: Jun Kaneko

Performed in English with projected English titles. Titles may not be visible from the rear of the orchestra.

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COME EARLY FOR FREE OPERA INSIGHTS
Musicologist Saul Lilienstein leads the Thursday, May 8 Opera Insight, starting 1 hour and 15 minutes before the performance and lasting 35–40 minutes. All other Opera Insights start 1 hour before the performance and last 20–25 minutes.Informative and entertaining, Opera Insights take you inside the composer’s mind, behind the scenes of planning a production, and into the history and social context of each opera.
These lectures are free, but patrons must present a ticket from any performance of The Magic Flute.

STAY AFTER FOR A FREE ARTIST Q&A ON THE MAGIC FLUTE
Following these performances:
Monday evening, May 5
Sunday matinees, May 11 & 18
Join WNO artists for a unique opportunity to ask questions about the production.
All discussions begin immediately after the performance and are free with your ticket.

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Performance Timing: Act I – 74 min.; Intermission – 20 min.; Act II – 89 min. (Approx. 3 hours)

Artists

• Kathryn Lewek, The Queen of the Night
• Anna Siminska, The Queen of the Night
• Eri Nakamura, Pamina
• Maureen McKay, Pamina
• Joseph Kaiser, Tamino
• Paul Appleby, Tamino
• Joshua Hopkins, Papageno
• Kostas Smoriginas, Papageno
• Soloman Howard, Sarastro
• Jordan Bisch, Sarastro
• Philippe Auguin, conductor
• Harry Silverstein, director
• Paul Pyant, lighting designer
• Jun Kaneko, set & costume designer

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