Thursday, February 6, 2025

THE MAGIC FLUTE in Pop Culture



The Magic Flute
is one of the operas with tunes so catchy and recognizable, even those who have never seen a performance of it have probably heard its music. Whether it’s the overture played as background music at the mall on an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or a music box on an episode of House bringing Papageno’s "Das klinget so herrlich" front and center, The Magic Flute is definitely in the pop culture landscape.

How is this Magic Flute Different?

by Jonathan Dean

Seattle Opera's 2017 production of The Magic Flute, featuring costumes designed by Zandra Rhodes. Photo © Jacob Lucas

The Magic Flute is one of the world’s favorite operas, and Seattle Opera has presented it many times—once in a charming production by Maurice Sendak (of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker fame), once in a whimsical version by British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, and most recently (2017) in an eye-popping production with costumes by fashion legend Zandra Rhodes.

A Magical Storybook

by Ulrich Lenz

Barrie Kosky, Suzanne Andrade, and Paul Barritt on flying elephants, the world of silent film, and the eternal search for love.

© Jaro Suffner

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Director's Statement by Kevin Newbury

Kevin Newbury, Stage Director of Fellow Travelers. © Marcus Shields

In the 2025/26 season, Seattle Opera will present Fellow Travelers, one of the most frequently performed new operas of the past decade, in collaboration with New York-based artistic collective Up Until Now, as part of a national project that brings this important story to stages across the country. This special initiative, which is launching in Seattle, is one of the largest consortium projects within the US opera industry and is headed by director Kevin Newbury (The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs ’19) and producer Jecca Barry.