Brandon Bedore

Dramatic Crit Review

The Magic Flute by W. A. Mozart at the English National Opera with a
translation by Stephen Jeffreys proves, with subtlety, that opera still has a
place in the modern world and can still successfully be funny to a modern
audience. In addition, that translation is not only helpful but enhances the
enjoyment as well as the involvement of the audience in ways that all forms
of theatre should. Furthermore, when the strains of translation is lifted off
the performers, assuming they are all English speakers, a new level of
specificity can be achieved that defies the stereotype of Opera park and
bark. All of this was shown in the performance of The Magic Flute.
Many opera purists and avid enjoyers of the traditional are always
skittish about translating opera into a different language. It is similar to
Shakespearean language adaptations because both opera and
Shakespeare rely on a pre-determined structure that was carefully
constructed for its original language. Shakespeare has iambic pentameter
and operas must preserve the music so the translated syllables must match
with their original pitch and often this restriction can muddy the plot or
create unnatural sentences. However, if the translation is successful, as I
feel the ENOs was, the audience is able to follow the story and engage
with the actors in the moment rather than staring at projected text several

feet above the actors heads struggling to make sense of everything. This
production not only featured a successful translation but the you could see
that the actors knew the intention behind their words and not just their direct
translation as you could get with the opera being in the original German.
This allowed for a refreshing performance that featured clear choices,
emotional stakes, and clear and multi-dimensional relationships that I
personally have never seen done so well in opera. I credit this not only to
the clear translation but also, to the obvious skill of the actors and the vision
and leadership of the director and music director.
On the subject of the musical direction, the orchestra and singers
each exhibited immense strength as well as perfect control during the
entirety of the performance. No note was out of tune no cue was out of time
and every dynamic was exactly as it should be. In a two and a half opera,
this is mind boggling to me that such flawlessness was achieved and
sustained with casual ease. The space and sound design also added to the
blend of the music with the large domed ceiling acting as a giant resonator
only increasing the resonance and power of the sounds without allowing
them to turn to mush. Furthermore, the soundproof percussion box really
enhanced the immersion of the show. When water was spilled or poured on
stage, you could hear the percussionist actually pouring the water that
made the sound rather than having a musical instrument attempt to

simulate water. It helped the naturalism of the production remain alive and
in certain instances it aided in the comedy of the show. Rather than
Papageno silently simulating himself urinating into a bottle, we actually
heard the distinctive sound and this sent chuckles and sporadic ews
through the audience which shows how powerful sound design is in the
construction of a shows atmosphere. Out of all the musical successes that
was achieved at this performance, the evident star was the famous Queen
of the Night aria we all know and cannot get enough of. If there was ever a
time to use the phrase jaw dropping I feel this may be an appropriate use.
Not only was every note clean and on pitch, but she performed the number
while chasing her daughter around the stage, while sitting in a wheelchair.
To have the kind of power and control to sing one of the highest notes in
opera with your diaphragm in a compromising position is already a feat but
she did not just hit the note, she blew it away. Her technique alone would
have dazzled any critic but on top of her singing, she found the emotional
stakes behind the song and that allowed it to transcend. To package all of
that up with a nice bow, she was also pregnant, as she made apparent by
letting her unborn child take a bow at curtain call.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the triumph that was the
graphic and set design. The simple and versatile hanging platform coupled
with the comical shadow projections allowed for us to be on a mountain, in

a boardroom, and outside a kingdoms walls all without any additional set
pieces. The stage was massive and it is a difficult task to balance the need
for a set without it becoming an attention stealer. The platform filled the
space wonderfully and gave the actors a giant playing space to work with.
The lack of a cumbersome vanity set gave them freedom to explore any
kind of physical choice to help communicate the plot. This included thrilling
slides down the sheer face of the platform when it was raised and a comical
use for Papagenos ladder. The projections and the chalkboard also
communicated the danger as well as the comic joy of the opera. Projecting
the giant snake at the opening as well as allowing for the man drawing
adding curly cues to the opening title. Papageno once again uses this
element to his comedic advantage by writing #Desperate during his song
where he laments over his constant longing for love.
This use of modern comedy in older shows in general always treads a
fine line, especially in opera. If you do not update the jokes, they do not
come across as funny and comedic opera can come across as stuffy to a
modern audience. If you add too much modernization, it appears pedantic
and forced like your mother saying Swag or LOL to show everyone she is
hip with the kids. Not only do the modern jokes lose their humor but also
they put off the audience. In order to sneak these occasional
modernizations into a production you have to set up the audience from the

very begging with the idea that the opera is silly and playful which is
achieved with the chalkboard projections. They also must add to the
character and be commuted in order to avoid the Hip Mom trap and avoid
using modern humor for its own sake. Papagenos use of hashtags was not
only very current and true to the trend but it enhanced his character in the
process of entertaining the audience.