UBC Opera brings to life The Magic Flute's enchanting world, November 27 to 30
Beloved Mozart work features fantastical characters and a killer Queen of the Night aria
UBC Opera’s The Magic Flute. Photo by Sharon Steele
UBC Opera presents The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) from November 27 to 30 at the UBC Old Auditorium
WITH ITS FLIGHTS of fancy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute seems like a great fit for the holiday season. Cue the UBC Opera Ensemble, which is staging a colourful rendition of the 1791 singspiel gem at the UBC Old Auditorium (celebrating its centenary this season).
The fairy tale–like story follows Prince Tamino (Hexiang Wang/Wanshuai Yu), who has a magic flute, on his quest to rescue Pamina (Sarah Richardson/Tamar Simon) from the clutches of the mysterious Sarastro (Jiru Wu/Liam Robertson). Much of the comedy comes care of Tamino’s buddy, the bumbling bird-catcher Papageno (Neil Hong/Denis Petrov), as they enter the enchanted forest—a hostile place that eventually transforms into a place of wonder and beauty, the titular instrument charming the wild animals.
But the real magic is in the music, conducted here in a special appearance by Vancouver Opera music director Jacques Lacombe on the podium, leading members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. Amid the highlights is the “Der Hölle Rache” (“The Wrath of Hell”) aria, with its extreme vocal demands, expressive coloratura, and stratospheric high notes, performed by the Queen of the Night (Olivia Howe/Magdalena How), who is Pamina’s mother.
Nancy Hermiston directs the production, being staged by the UBC Opera Ensemble for the first time since 2018—and a chance, as ever, to check out some of the art form’s stars of tomorrow. 
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