Press Release October 16, 2019
Washington National Opera presents Mozart’s comic masterpiece The Magic Flute
Mozart’s final opera features design by Maurice Sendak Led by opera’s rising stars Kathryn Lewek, Sydney Mancasola, and David Portillo
November 2–23, 2019 in the Kennedy Center Opera House
(WASHINGTON)—The whimsical tale of The Magic Flute comes to life at Washington National Opera (WNO) at the Kennedy Center Opera House from November 2–23, 2019. Performed in English with projected surtitles, this production of The Magic Flute features design by famed children’s author/illustrator Maurice Sendak. This light-hearted and comical opera is a delight for newcomers and opera fans alike.
The dashing Tamino will be performed by tenor David Portillo who sings “high notes with ease” (Opera News). Portillo previously performed with Washington National Opera in its 2015 production of La Cenerentola as Don Ramiro. Sydney Mancasola makes her WNO debut as the princess Pamina, having sung the role at the Metropolitan Opera last season. Mancasola has performed at distinguished opera houses across the United States and Europe, including Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, and the English National Opera. Following highly successful performances at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Houston Grand Opera, coloratura soprano Kathryn Lewek returns to WNO in a role which has become her signature—the Queen of the Night. Both Portillo and Lewek are set to reprise their roles at the Metropolitan Opera later this year.
This production of The Magic Flute features two alumni of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program who have become familiar faces to WNO audiences. Concurrent with his performances of Lodovico in this season’s Otello, DCYAP alumnus bass Wei Wu tackles the role of the villain
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Sarastro. Baritone Michael Adams, deemed a “Rising Star” by Opera News, portrays the hilarious bird catcher Papageno.
A special Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist performance of The Magic Flute takes place in the Opera House on Friday, November 22, 2019, and features singers from the Young Artist program in principal roles. Complete casting for this performance will be announced in the coming weeks.
This production was designed by Maurice Sendak, who is most known for his children’s books Where the Wild Things Are (1963) and In the Night Kitchen (1970). A long-time opera fan and Mozart-admirer, Sendak was commissioned in the late 1970s to design sets and costumes for an upcoming production of The Magic Flute at Houston Grand Opera, which was mounted at Washington Opera in the 1980s. Sendak attributes a large part of his inspiration to poet William Blake, as well as to Mozart himself. Sendak incorporated numerous masonic symbols in the original designs, including floating eyes, pyramids, and temples, as Mozart was an early member of the Masonic Fraternity in Vienna, and even gained the status of “Master Mason.” The opera has masonic allegory and a central theme of enlightenment woven throughout the plot, and Sendak embellished these aspects in his designs. The original production received critical acclaim, which inspired Sendak to design for numerous operas and ballets throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Neil Peter Jampolis (scenery and lighting design for the WNO production) recreated Sendak’s creation for the Portland Opera revival in 2016.
The Magic Flute premiered under Mozart’s baton in Vienna, 1791, just three months before his death, with the librettist Emanuel Schikaneder performing the role of Papageno. Over the 200 years since, audiences have described the production as fantastical and spectacular, and the opera has become Mozart’s most successful singspiel, or a work that includes both singing and the spoken word. This comic opera features some of the most familiar melodies in classical operatic repertoire. The Queen of the Night’s spectacularly challenging rage aria “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen” has perhaps the opera’s most recognizable melody. Pamina’s deceptively simple, yet complex and emotionally powerful aria “Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden” requires enormous breath control, and has become a staple for lyric sopranos over the past two centuries. One of the most amusing scenes is the final “Pa-Pa-Pa-Papageno” duet between the bird catcher Papageno and his bride, Papagena.
2 Conductor Eun Sun Kim, who has been described as a “major star” by The New York Times, makes her WNO debut with this production. The Magic Flute is directed by Christopher Mattaliano, who led the 2016 production at the Portland Opera. He has previously directed for the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera, among others. Rounding out the creative team is John Garofalo in his WNO debut in projections and scenic and lighting design.
The opera’s running time is approximately three hours, with a 25-minute intermission. Visit WNO’s website for more information.
Washington National Opera’s 2019–2020 season continues with the Marian Anderson Vocal Award Concert featuring Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist alumnus Soloman Howard (November 25, 2019), the annual American Opera Initiative (January 10, 2020), and Mozart’s Don Giovanni (February 29-March 20, 2020). Tickets for the 2019-2020 season are now available.
The Magic Flute Performance and Ticket Information Saturday, November 2 at 7:00 p.m. ▪ Monday, November 4 at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m. ▪ Saturday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. ▪ Friday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m. ▪ Friday, November 22 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Ticket Information Tickets start at $25 and are available online, in person at the Kennedy Center Box Office, and by calling (202) 467-4600 or (800) 444-1324. Groups of 10 or more receive discounts up to 15% for The Magic Flute purchases by calling (202) 467-8400. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.
Patrons 30 and under and active-duty members of the military are invited to join the Kennedy Center’s MyTix program for special discount offers and chances to win free tickets. MyTix discounts will be available for select performance of The Magic Flute. For more information, visit kennedy-center.org/mytix
The Magic Flute Production Information Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder In English with projected English titles.
Production from Portland Opera
November 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 17m, 22, 23
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Cast and Creative Team
Tamino David Portillo Conductor Eun Sun Kim*
Pamina Sydney Mancasola* Director Christopher Mattaliano
Queen of the Night Kathryn Lewek Scenery Design Realized by Neil Peter Jampolis, based on the original Sarastro Wei Wu artwork of Maurice Sendak
Papageno Michael Adams Lighting Designer Neil Peter Jampolis
Speaker Kevin Short Projection, Associate John Garofalo* Lighting & Scenic Design
* Washington National Opera Debut Alumnus of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program
The Magic Flute Related Programs and Events
Opera Insights before every performance, Kennedy Center Opera House WNO presents a free pre-performance education event prior to every performance of The Magic Flute. These events begin one hour prior to curtain in the Opera House and last approximately 25– 30 minutes. Musicologist Saul Lilienstein’s Opera Insights on Tuesday, November 12, beginning 1 hour and 15 minutes before the performance and lasts approximately 35-40 minutes.
Artist Q&As: The Magic Flute Monday, November 4 and Sunday, November 17, post-performance, Kennedy Center Opera House Following the performances on Sunday, November 3 and Monday, November 11 in the Kennedy Center Opera House, please join WNO artistic staff for a wide-ranging discussion with the artists for an inside scoop on the production. These events are free to patrons presenting a The Magic Flute ticket and begin immediately after the performance.
ABOUT WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA Washington National Opera (WNO) is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. Under the leadership of General Director Timothy O’Leary and world-renowned Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, the company presents a diverse repertory of grand opera across three main venues of the Kennedy Center. From classic operas to more contemporary pieces each season, WNO’s artistic output also includes several commissioned American works and a variety of special concerts, youth operas, and events. Evan Rogister begins his tenure as Principal Conductor with WNO in the 2019–2020 season.
Recent celebrated productions have included the WNO premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night; the world premiere of Philip Glass’s reconceived Appomattox, presented in conjunction with cultural events throughout Washington, D.C.; the powerful performances of Kurt Weill’s Lost in the Stars; and the
4 massive feat of WNO’s first-complete Ring Cycle, which was helmed by Zambello and played to sold-out houses following international acclaim.
Founded in 1956 and an artistic affiliate of the Kennedy Center since 2011, WNO has a storied legacy of more than 100 new productions, plus world premieres, international tours, live recordings, and radio broadcasts, as well as innovative education and community-engagement programs. Throughout its history, WNO has been led by titans in the opera field, including the legendary Plácido Domingo, who headed the company for 15 years, as well as luminaries such as Music Director Emeritus Heinz Fricke and former Director of Artistic Operations Christina Scheppelmann.
Among the company’s most successful programs is the American Opera Initiative (AOI), a commissioning program that develops new one-act works for WNO’s annual festival. By mentoring emerging composers and librettists, the Initiative works to expand the American operatic repertory and enhance its relevance to our time. Since its inception, AOI has commissioned 31 chamber opera world premieres, with some going on to future productions around the country.
With a commitment toward youth, WNO contributes to the future of opera through two signature artist- development programs. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, now in its 18th season, is one of the nation’s most competitive professional training programs, providing two years of intensive study to a highly selective cadre of young singers and collaborative pianists. Alumni of the program have won major competitions and gone on to successful careers at major opera houses worldwide. The WNO Opera Institute nurtures the ambitions of high-school-age singers from across the nation during an intensive three-week summer program held at American University in Washington.
The most popular of WNO’s community-engagement programs is Opera in the Outfield®, a free Kennedy Center Opera House production broadcast on the high-definition scoreboard at Nationals Park. The company’s other education programs include the Kids Create Opera program at local elementary schools, Look-In performances for students in grades 3–8, and the Student Dress Rehearsal Program for middle and high school students. The company also offers free Opera Insights programs before every performance in the Opera House.
Discover Washington National Opera on social media:
MagicFluteDC
FUNDING CREDITS Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.
David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO.
WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.
WNO’s Presenting Sponsor is General Dynamics.
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5 PRESS CONTACT TICKETS & INFORMATION Chanel Williams (202) 467-4600; (800) 444-1324 (202) 416-8447 www.kennedy-center.org/wno [email protected]
FOR PHOTOS Iain Higgins (202) 416-8442 [email protected]
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