The Magic Flute
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder

Four performances only – January 23, 27, 31, February 2, 2008
Segerstrom Hall, Orange County Performing Artscenter
Nicole Cabell as Pamina
Chad Shelton as Tamino
Luz del Alba Rubio as Queen of the Night
Rod Gilfry as Papageno
Morris Robinson as Sarastro

Conducted by John DeMain
Directed by Dr. Michael Hampe

Costumes designed by Zandra Rhodes for San Diego Opera
Sets designed by Dr. Michael Hampe and Alberto Andreis for San Diego Opera Sets for The Magic Flute executed by San Diego Opera
Scenic Studio Costumes for The Magic Flute executed by San Diego Opera Costume Shop

Opera Pacific presents Mozart’s The Magic Flute, led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor John DeMain, at Segerstrom Hall of Orange County Performing Artscenter. The production will be conducted by John DeMain, and directed by Dr. Michael Hampe. Dr. Michael Hampe and Alberto Andreis designed the sets for the San Diego Opera. Costumes are executed by San Diego Opera Costume Shop and designed by Zandra Rhodes.

Fantasy and delight reign supreme in this eye-popping, colorful production of Mozart’s masterpiece! Visually and aurally stunning, this Magic Flute leads the audience on a thrilling journey through the darkest night (always illuminated with sparkling stars) into a dawn of daylight and love. Wonderful arias – including the Queen of the Night’s gasp-inducing coloratura showcase – highlight the enchanting proceedings. Sung in German with English translation projected above the stage.

Opera Pacific continues its 22^nd season with this production of Mozart’s final opera. The Magic Flute opened in 1791. The opera was produced as a commission for librettist Emmanuel Schikaneder’s failing theater company, Theater auf der Wieden. The critical success of the original production (which also starred Schikaneder as Papageno) brought new life to the theater and simultaneously reached out to a new audience.

Noted for its fairy tale influences and classic symbols of good versus evil, The Magic Flute follows the love story of the young prince Tamino (Chad Shelton) and princess Pamina (Nicole Cabell) - the beautiful daughter of the Queen of the Night (Luz de Alba Rubio), Tamino attempts to rescue Pamina after learning of her kidnapping by the high priest Sarastro. The Queen of the Night gives Tamino a magic flute for protection, and then sends him and Papageno (a bird catcher sung by Rod Gilfry) to find her daughter. It is not until after both men face tests of extreme elements that Tamino and Pamina are united. The Magic Flute ranges from the ultra dramatic to the highly comic. Presented in the form of Singspiel, it includes both singing and spoken dialogue.

Described by the North County Times as “an ideal introduction to opera for children“ this production was first seen in San Diego in 2001, and again in 2006, with costumes by renowned British textile designer Zandra Rhodes. Known for her bright pink hair, dramatic designs, and past work with clients such as Sir Elton John and Princess Diana, Rhodes’ colorful costumes heighten the magical setting and help “conjure a primal realm, somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, and darkness and light, in which hopes, fears and desires present themselves to human consciousness and conscience” (Sign on San Diego). It was due to Rhodes’ theatrical style that she was approached for this project. It was beginning of Rhodes work for the stage. Most recently, she designed the English National Opera’s 2007 production of Aïda.

Dr. Michael Hampe is directing this production as well as having been a part of the set design team with Alberto Andreis, having worked on the San Diego Opera’s The Magic Flute in both 2001 and 2006. He has worked on productions throughout the world including Milan's Teatro alla Scala, Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Opera Australia, the Edinburgh Festival, Florence's Maggio Musicale, the Schwetzingen Festspiele, and the Pesaro Rossini Festival. In addition, Dr. Michael Hampe works as a professor at the Cologne Music Academy and is also an expert in international theatre construction. Hampe has also published several books, including Alles Theater, a collection of essays on various aspects of theatre and opera.

An incredible international cast gathers at Opera Pacific for The Magic Flute. The 2005 Winner of the BBC Singer of the World, Nicole Cabell will join the company as Pamina. Chad Shelton also joins the cast of The Magic Flute after singing the role Don José in Opera Pacific’s Carmen last February. Uruguyan soprano Luz del Alba Rubio reprises her Queen of the Night after making her European debut in the role in 1999 at the Summerfestival in Frankfurt and Mainz. Southern California local turned international star, Rod Gilfry, sings Papageno.

Singing the role of Tamino is tenor Chad Shelton who was last seen with Opera Pacific as Don Jose in 2006’s Carmen. He began the 2006-07 season with L’Opera de Nancy as Guido Bardi in Zemlinsky’s A Florentine Tragedy. Later that season he sang Alfredo in La Traviata with Utah Opera and Central City Opera and performed Handel’s Messiah with the Virginia Symphony. Among his engagements in future seasons is a return to L’Opera de Nancy for Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and both Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at the Grand Théatre de Genëve. Hailed by Opera News for his unfailing ability to tackle “high-flying tessitura without even a flicker of strain” as well as having a “convincing line and technical finesse,” tenor Chad Shelton garners acclaim for his characterizations of leading roles on national and international stages. A frequent leading presence with Houston Grand Opera, Shelton’s other roles with the company include Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Captain Vere in Billy Budd, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, and Camille in The Merry Widow. Known for his commitment to contemporary works, Shelton created the role of Laurie in Mark Adamo’s Little Women with Houston Grand Opera, a performance of which was telecast on PBS and commercially recorded on the Ondine label.

Soprano Nicole Cabell makes her debut with Opera Pacific singing the role of Pamina. Cabell, the 2005 Winner of the BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff and exclusive DECCA recording artist, is fast becoming one of the most sought-after lyric sopranos of today. Miss Cabell’s 2006/2007 season included many exciting debuts, most notably with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Eudoxie in concert performances of La Juive, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall in Poulenc’s Gloria, the Santa Fe Opera as Musetta in La Bohème, the Opéra de Montpellier as Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore and with Opera Rara in a recording and concert performance of the title-role of Donizetti’s Imelda de’ Lambertazzi. Other notable concert appearances included Carmina Burana and Honey and Rue with the Oslo Philharmonic and Andre Previn, an all-Bernstein evening at Harvard with Judith Clurman, the Gorecki 3^rd Symphony with the Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vänskä, Messiah with the San Diego Symphony and a return to the Indianapolis Symphony for a concert of Opera Arias with Mario Venzago.

Uruguyan soprano Luz del Alba Rubio appears as the Queen of the Night after her Opera Pacific debut in last September’s Opera Under the Stars concert at the Irvine Bowl. Luz del Alba Rubio made her European debut in 1999 at the Summerfestival in Frankfurt and Mainz, as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute. She has performed as Musetta in La Boheme, at the Teatro di Regio di Parma and Teatro Solis in Montevideo, Gilda in Rigoletto (in over 20 productions) in Italy, Switzerland, and in the States, Orlando and New York City Opera. She also sang Lucia de Lammermoor and Adina in L’Elisir d' Amore in Rome and San Gemignano. As Verdi’s Violetta she has performed at the Vienna Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Bruxelles, Liege, Ghent, Rome, San Gemignano, Uruguay, and in the states, Orlando and Gibraltar Opera House for its re-opening after 50 years. At the invitation of Placido Domingo and Washington Opera she made her American debut performing as a flower maiden in Parsifal and Antonia & Guilietta in Tales of Hoffman. Since then she has performed the title role in Lakme at the Baltimore Opera, Olympia in Tales of Hoffman at the West Palm Beach Opera and Antonia in Tales of Hoffman at the Cleveland Opera. In 2004 she sang Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro in Trapani, Italy. In the next season she debuted as Rosina in The Barber of Seville at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and debuted as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni in Lecce, Italy. Her most recent engagements included singing Rosina in The Barber of Seville at the Ercolano Festival in Naples, performing in a La Fenice production of La Traviata in Beijing and Rigoletto in Jesi, Italy.

Singing the pivotal role of Papageno is baritone Rod Gilfry, who was brought to worldwide attention when he created the role of Stanley Kowalski in the 1998 premiere of André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire with the San Francisco Opera. This production, conducted by the composer, was televised nationwide on PBS; a live recording was released by Deutsche Grammophon and DVD and VHS versions have subsequently been issued. He has also recorded on EMI, Erato, Philips, Telarc and Teldec. His live video performances of the Mozart/Da Ponte operas are available on DG/Archiv. With the addition of his assumption of the role of Nathan in the 2002 Covent Garden premiere of Nicholas Maw’s Sophie’s Choice and the 2003 Los Angeles Opera premiere as Tsar Nicholas II in Nicholas & Alexandra, Mr. Gilfry has become many composer’s baritone of choice for romantic lead roles in new operas.

Opera Pacific Prologue
The Opera Pacific Prologue on The Magic Flute will be held at Bowers Museum on Sunday, January 6 at 2:00 pm with director Dr. Michael Hampe and Prologue speaker Ron Shaheen. Opera Pacific’s Prologues provide an introduction to the opera for all audiences and are designed to provide information for those new to opera, as well as those who have been lifelong fans of the art form. Prologue speaker Ron Shaheen lends his insight into the history, music and plot intricacies as intended by the composer. Prologues also provide audience members an opportunity to ask questions in discussions with the guest speaker, and hear excerpts from the upcoming productions performed by mainstage cast members.

Pre-Performance Lecture

An overview of the performance, story synopsis, historical and composer connections, and personal insights with Opera Pacific’s Chorus Master Henri Venanzi is held one hour prior to each performance in Segerstrom Hall.

22nd Season of Opera Pacific

Celebrating its 22nd Season, Opera Pacific has established itself as one of the finest professional opera companies in the nation. Opera Pacific's mainstage productions, extensive community outreach programs, and energetic Guild Alliance combine to create a cultural resource for all of Southern California. More than 670,000 people have enjoyed Opera Pacific's productions at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, while over 575,000 young people have discovered the world of opera through the company's in-school presentations, Student Previews, and nationally recognized Opera Camps.

In addition to the "grand opera" repertory, Opera Pacific has responded to the need for strong, professional productions of classic American musical theatre and European operetta. Under the baton and dedication of John DeMain, opera is an event with the honest communication of the stories and musical values of the works, combined with exciting singers, and major opera house scale productions.

Tickets for The Magic Flute
Tickets for The Magic Flute are priced from $27 to $191 and are available by calling 1-800-34-OPERA, online at www.operapacific.org, or by visiting the Orange County Performing Arts Center Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For information, go to www.operapacific.org. For groups, call (714) 830-6361.