Score: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Libretto: Emanuel Schikaneder & Carl Ludwig Giesecke. At: Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Dr. Phone: 312-332-2244 Ext. 5600; $49-$254. Runs through: Jan. 22
It's understandable for long-time Windy City opera fans to grumble about The Lyric Opera of Chicago's revival of The Magic Flute. This is the sixth time the Lyric has produced the late German director August Everding's 1986 staging of Mozart's popular 1791 singspiel opera, so it's forgivable whey they might be clamoring for something new.
Personally, it's only my second go-round with Lyric's Magic Flute, so I'm not so impatient. Also, Everding's production, enchantingly restaged by Matthew Lata, unquestionably brings a lot of fun and whimsy to one of the most accessible and delightful works to introduce newcomers to the glories of opera.
The Lyric hasn't stinted on vocal or musical talent to bring Mozart's final opera to life, which is a strong reason for paying another visit. That's even if you already know all of set designer Jörg Zimmermann's visual staging surprises.
Conductor and Lyric Music Director Andrew Davis leads the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra in a fleet and breezy account of the uncut score, which teems in a variety of moods ranging from deep solemnity to very catchy folk tunes.
Tenor Charles Castronovo made for a sturdy Prince Tamino (Alex Shrader, a Grand Finals winner of the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, takes over the role starting Jan. 9), while soprano Nicole Cabell offered up a plucky and gorgeously sung Pamina, the royal daughter of the sparring Sarastro (Günther Groissböck) and The Queen of the Night (Audrey Luna).
French baritone Stéphane Degout injected in plenty of comedy as the not-so-brave "everyman" bird catcher Papageno. Also ramping up the humor were tenor Rodell Rosel as the green-skinned servant Monostatos and the Queen of the Night's trio of "henchwomen," nicely sung by Elisabeth Meister, Cecelia Hall and Katherine Lerner.
One could quibble with Luna's take on the villainous Queen of the Night, even though she hit all the right notes of the notoriously difficult role on opening night. Instead of vocalizing with the anger of an otherworldly force, Luna sounds more like an angry teenager who didn't get her way.
As many veterans of the Lyric Opera's Magic Flute know, the final duet between Papageno and his future wife Papagena (soprano Jennifer Jakob) always features some kids wearing a Chicago sports team's jerseys, typically a team that has won a recent national championship. This time around the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls and Chicago Bears were all represented, which makes you wonder whether this might be a last chance to feature as many teams before the production gets retired. If this conjecture is true, then it's certainly a fitting hurrah for such a durable Chicago production that still stands up well even after the sixth time around.