The Magic Flute: Opera Hamilton
by Brian Hay
Opera Hamilton's take on Wolfgang Mozart's timeless masterpiece, 'The Magic Flute', was fresh and vibrant. The visual look of the production was stunning. The basics were borrowed from a production first put together by the Opera Company of Philadelphia in 1994. Since then the designs costumes by Richard St. Clair and the scenic ideas conceived by Boyd Ostroff have been used many times and (quite justly) to wide acclaim. The costumes are flamboyant but well suited to fairy tale like nature of the piece. The sets were elaborate and useful for an array of purposes. Like the costumes they fit the larger than life aspects of the story well. The lighting created an atmosphere that was rich and warm.
The music sparkled with life. Conductor David Speers had the Hamilton Philharmonic take the piece at a languid pace and it worked well. The tempos he used were brisk but never rushed. The music flowed with an ease that allowed the listeners to savour Mozart's luscious melodies. The sound of the orchestra was wonderfully transparent. The singers were generally good. Colin Ainsworth sang the role of 'Tamino' with effortless poise. Leslie Ann Bradley, Michelle Bogdanowicz and Wendy Hatala Foley vamped their ways through the roles of the three ladies nicely. Kevin Langan was convincing as the iconic 'Sarastro' and Gerald Issac was a hoot as a gnomish 'Monostatos'. But, among the singers, it was Shannon Mercer and Alexander Dobson who came to the fore.
A Delicious 'Pamina' …
Shannon Mercer has a fantastic voice. That's true of any singer who participates in a production of a major work but every so often one comes along who's voice just fills the room with an exquisite radiance each and every time he or she opens their mouth to sing. Shannon Mercer's voice is full and rich and seems to expand to fill a hall. Her singing is rich and warm. Her tones are lustrous and vibrant. And her passion fills her voice. Her acting was excellent. She brought more than just a voice to the role. She breathed new life into it.
Everybody Loves the Birdman …
That was probably true of Mozart himself. It was certainly true of (Emanuel) Schikaneder. If the historical documentation is accurate he wrote the part for himself. Whatever the case they gave the character most of the best songs and most of the laughs. He's a classic by himself. Those tunes are so jaunty and filled with fun it's impossible to listen to them and feel bad. The character is so much of an average guy it's impossible not to root for him. Alexander Dobson played the role to the hilt. He sang it with gusto. He had fun with all the character's quirks. He clearly reveled in those little 'asides' … the list goes on. When the final curtain fell and the bows were taken he, along with Shannon Mercer, got the loudest round of applause.
The production wasn't without faults. Audrey Elizabeth Luna sang the role of the Queen of the Night convincingly but missed the mark on a few of the highest notes. It's understandable because the runs of high notes (coloratura passages) in those arias (songs) are a minefield for singers. But, the song has been done better. Zorana Sadiq was good in her speaking parts but a bit weak when she sang as 'Papagena'. The sound dropped off at times. It was especially true when the bird catcher was speaking. The sung passages through the end of the first scene involving the three ladies suffered as well. It was probably because the performers weren't placed close enough to the hanging microphones for their voices to carry well. That would have been the fault of the Director, Michael Cavanagh. There were also times when the production could have used more movement on the stage.
Those are minor complaints though. Before it was staged this production had far more going against it than for it. Opera Hamilton nearly folded a year ago. This piece was put on the shelf while they scrambled to raise money to keep the company afloat. They found enough to keep going. This production is a good one and would have been so even if it hadn't been done in the face of harsh odds. It shows they have the will make this work. The rest is up to the public.
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Shannon Mercer as Pamina
From Opera Hamilton's Production of 'The Magic Flute'
Fall 2008
Opera Hamilton:
Official Site
Shannon Mercer:
Official Site
norules-nolights.com
