Yesterday, I saw the Scottish Opera do ‘The Magic Flute’ and I’m still reeling b/c it was LOVELY but here are some of the big things that stood out to me:
1. I got a front row ticket for £10 ($12.50) because I’m under 26. I bought it online weeks in advance. I didn’t need a student ID, and there was no rush or limit on where I could sit. Anyone under 26 could sit anywhere in that theatre for £10.
2. They sold programs for £4 ($5). In the US/with Broadway, these would be $20 and have mostly high quality photos of the show with one ‘behind the scenes’ essay spread. The one I bought at Magic Flute was all essays about gender, history, etc., except for their ‘what to listen for’ section (which I needed, b/c I don’t know much about opera) and synopsis. I understand a lot about both the opera and this production of it now that I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else.
3. There were LEDs in the furies/Queen of the Night’s dresses. Like holy cow these women SPARKLED. I refuse to vilify them b/c if you wanted me to think they were bad you wouldn’t have made them so pretty. Look at her. Her whole crown lit up:
4. Papageno belongs in Glasgow in a way he wouldn’t have in Edinburgh. This whole production belongs to Glasgow in a really special way (which I got partially from the program). Like... it feels like opera for the Everyman, which from the program’s thing about history is very much the original vibe for the piece.
5. It had a steampunk vibe, which I LOVE.
See that monster? That little bells man? The exact aesthetic I want from theatre.
6. They used vernacular in the translation. Papageno was “a bloke”. He dropped a decent number of “bloody hell”s too, I think.
7. The old woman next to me was very sweet and made sure I understood both the plot and the references to the Masons, b/c a 21 year old American is not your average opera goer in Glasgow, Scotland. It was very nice of her and also she may have fallen asleep for portions of Act II.