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Young Talent in West Bay Zauberflöte

Janos Gereben on May 20, 2014
Pamina (Ellen Teufel) and Tamino (Brian Kuhl), Sarastro (Kirk Eichelberger) in the background Photo by Otak Jump
Pamina (Ellen Teufel) and Tamino (Brian Kuhl), Sarastro (Kirk Eichelberger) in the background
Photo by Otak Jump

West Bay Opera's next production is Mozart's The Magic Flute in a production combining video projections (by Frèdèric Boulay) and traditional set pieces (Jean François Revon). The fairytale unfolds with what music director and conductor José Luis Moscovich describes as "somewhat abbreviated German dialogues." (And let's hope they are really reduced; it's the music the audience wants to hear.) The stage director is German-born Daniel Witzke, active in Austrian opera houses.

Young artists and renowned veterans constitute the cast: Eugene Brancoveanu (Papageno), Kirk Eichelberger (Sarastro), Liisa Dávila (Liù in the WBO Turandot), Molley Mahoney and Michelle Rice are the Three Ladies; from the East Coast, Ellen Teufel debuts as Pamina, Brian Kuhl is Tamino; and from the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, Dana Pundt is the Queen of the Night. Michael Desnoyers returns as Monostatos.

The Magic Flute was first presented at West Bay Opera in 1964, revived in 1974, 1996, and 2005. Performances are May 23-June 1, in the Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto.