by Michael Cox
“The Magic Flute” – Adapted and directed by Mark Dornford-May. Performed by Isango Ensemble. Presented by ArtsEmerson, Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont Street, Boston through November 10.
It all begins with the marimbas, tables of long wooden bars mounted above resonators, instruments that look similar to xylophones, but the sound is so much different. It’s a joyous sound – the sound of a warm and faraway place where the atmosphere is festive. And the rhythm that throbs under the music just makes you want to dance.
More percussion underscores the marimbas – drums covered in goatskin, drums made of old oil barrels and drums made of rubber garbage cans, concussion idiophones made of empty plastic water bottles and orchestra bells made of soda bottles that are partway filled. Then we hear the hands and feet, clapping and stomping against the hollow stage floor. This is certainly not your traditional orchestral version of The Magic Flute.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s acrobatic torrent of notes – rapping against the eardrum like a violent rain – has been decidedly scaled down and conclusively brought to the people. Isango Ensemble’s presentation of the great comic opera by the renowned composer, Salzburg’s wunderkind, has been remounted once again at Arts Emerson’s Cutler Majestic Theatre. The last time this production came to Boston – shipped across oceans and over continents from Cape Town, South Africa – was just a couple of years ago.
Something about this production – directed by Isango founder Mark Domford-May and arranged by Mandisi Dyantyis, resonates with Boston audiences. Perhaps it is the exuberance of the performers or the magic of a myth that spans national borders and cultural divides. Those are the ingredients that Bostonians love, and for this city, Isango’s take is a perfectly blended feast. This production is in every way an ensemble. The actors move into their characters then return to the side of the stage as themselves. They are not individuals but a part of a group. The singers also play instruments and everyone dances together on the side. Unlike a traditional opera – where a prima donna floats onto the stage, performs a breathtaking aria and then disappears – the diva in this production simply puts on a new hat and steps out of the way.
This is a down-to-earth opera, made for the people, and it is not without its detractors. Some purists believe that an opera must have spectacle and grandeur. An opera is not an opera without a full orchestra, spellbinding scenic elements and inhuman talent that can perform nearly impossible vocal feats.
As an opera, this “Flute” is hardly an Albert Cooper. Isango’s singing is merely passable and The Queen of the Night doesn’t hit all her high notes. You’re not going to get those jaw dropping arias that you typically wade through mires of recitative for. Instead you get a democracy, a unified troupe that works together to create the whole. Though it may not be the best Mozart, it is some of the liveliest theatre you will experience.
“The Magic Flute” accompanies four more returning productions to Arts Emerson this anniversary season – including Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare’s acclaimed adaptation of Homer’s “Iliad,” titled “An Iliad,” Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower,” Phantom Limb’s “69 Degrees South (The Shackleton Project)” and Vesturport’s visual masterpiece “Metamorphosis.” There are also exciting new pieces coming from Chile, Australia and right here at home. Artistic and executive directors David Dower and David C. Howse have put together a season with something for everyone. For tickets and information about these shows, go to: https://artsemerson.org
