The St. Louis Symphony performs a 45 minute condensed version of Mozart’s final opera, The Magic Flute, on Sunday, January 15 at 3 pm, Powell Hall (718 North Grand Boulevard), with Ward Stare conducting. Filled with imaginative settings, a bird seller, a captured princess, an evil queen of the night, colorful costumes, an eight foot long stuffed dragon, and of course beautiful and unforgettable music, this abbreviated version of The Magic Flute is a great introduction to opera for mature preschoolers and up (even adults who are not fond of sitting through 3 hours of a full length opera).
The performance features baritone Ian Greenlaw, several artists from the prestigious Opera Theatre of St. Louis Young Artists program, and local singers. The opera is presented in English with projected titles. Tickets start at an incredibly reasonable $7 each and are available online or by calling 314.534.1700.
Additional tips:
* There is no intermission so be sure to make a restroom stop before the show.
* Kids hungry before the performance? Family friendly treats such as candy, Billy Goat potato chips, cookies, beverages, and more are available for sale in the lobby.
* Current best seating availability is in the rear top balcony section and the rear main level areas. You may want to bring binoculars for your children if you sit in these areas so that they can see more costume or facial details of the performers. In terms of sound, I would recommend the balcony seating area over the rear main floor area.
* Metered street parking is free on Sundays, so if you want to secure one of these spots, try to arrive a little early to the performance. Otherwise, there are paid parking lots adjacent to Powell Hall.
* At various stations throughout the lobby areas prior to the performance, kids can try out a flute, a violin, and other instruments. Any instruments with mouth pieces are cleaned of course before each use!
* The Arizona Opera produced a nice study guide about The Magic Flute geared towards school age children and adults who are new to the opera.
* Visit the blog “Playing by the Book” for wonderful children’s books about The Magic Flute.
A taste of the music from the Metropolitan Opera’s famous 2006 Julie Taymor production:
Photo: Ken Howard, Metropolitan Opera