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Episode cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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James Levine | ... | Self - Conductor |
Katie Couric | ... | Self - Host | |
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Matthew Polenzani | ... | Tamino |
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Wendy Bryn Harmer | ... | First Lady |
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Kate Lindsey | ... | Second Lady |
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Tamara Mumford | ... | Third Lady |
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Nathan Gunn | ... | Papageno |
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Erika Miklósa | ... | Queen of the Night |
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Stephen Paynter | ... | First Slave |
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Kenneth Floyd | ... | Second Slave |
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Gregory Cross | ... | Third Slave |
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Greg Fedderly | ... | Monostatos |
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Ying Huang | ... | Pamina |
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Bennett Kosma | ... | First Spirit |
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Jesse Burnside Murray | ... | Second Spirit |
In Act 1, Tamino is sent on a mission by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter from the evil lord Sarastro. He is accompanied by the friendly bird-catcher, Papageno. But Tamino will soon discover that what he has been told was false, and if he really wishes to win Pamina's hand, he himself will have to undergo his own personal transformation. Mozart turns the "rescue opera" formulas inside out - as he often did with other musical forms - and by the end of Act 1, we realize that everything we have been led to believe up to this point is untrue. Act 2 sets matters right. The opera is one of Mozart's last creations (he died two months after the premiere), but considering that he was only 35 at the time, he was a young man and still developing new styles; The Magic Flute hints at what "might have been" had he lived a longer life. Written by dnitzer
This is the first time I've viewed a Julie Taymor production, and it was quite a treat. Normally, I listen to opera on DVD and skip to my favorite parts. When this version aired I came upon it by accident, not intending to sit through an entire opera. To my surprise, I found it entrancing. The integration of colorful costumes, technically marvelous sets, and what seems an adaption of Indonesian puppetry on a large scale made this version wonderful. On tape, the original libretto still holds its classic status. But on TV, the English version made it easier to appreciate, and the subtitles made the words, which were sometimes difficult to understand, much clearer, letting the plot make sense. Kudos to Julie Taymor. I look forward to seeing more of her work.