EXTENDED AGAIN: Mary Zimmerman’s world-premiere of THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE at Goodman Theatre February 10 – March 24, 2024

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TONY AWARD WINNER MARY ZIMMERMAN MARKS 30 YEARS AS 

MANILOW RESIDENT DIRECTOR WITH HER 18TH GOODMAN PRODUCTION

THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE

A NEW THEATRICAL ADAPTATION OF MOZART’S OPERA

***MARLENE FERNANDEZ, LAUREN MOLINA, EMILY ROHM, BILLY RUDE AND MORE JOIN THE 21-MEMBER COMPANY OF THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY OPERA IN MINIATURE, APPEARING FEBRUARY 10 – MARCH 24*** 

HIGH DEMAND FOR TICKETS PROMPTS A SECOND EIGHT-PERFORMANCE EXTENSION WEEK FOR MARY ZIMMERMAN’S WORLD-PREMIERE ADAPTATION, THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE, A FAMILY-FRIENDLY OPERA IN MINIATURE

 Recommended for audiences aged 8+

Goodman Theatre Manilow Resident Director Mary Zimmerman’s newest production, The Matchbox Magic Flute, has extended its run before performances begin. The Tony Award-winning director’s world-premiere-in-miniature adaptation of Mozart’s magical family-friendly opera features a 15-member company (10 actors and five musicians) and marks Zimmerman’s 18th production over a three-decade Goodman artistic affiliation. With dragons, a man who is a bird, trials by fire and water and more, Day and Night do battle in this playful and imaginative hero’s quest—following the adventures of Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina, and revealing that things are not always as they seem. Recommended for audiences aged 8+, The Matchbox Magic Flute appears February 10 – March 24th. Tickets ($25 - $90; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Flute or by phone at 312.443.3800. Goodman Theatre is grateful for the support of Mayer Brown, LLP (Corporate Sponsor), PAXXUS Inc. (Contributing Sponsor) and Russell Reynolds Associates (Contributing Sponsor).

Rehearsals for The Matchbox Magic Flute, Mary Zimmerman’s world-premiere-in-miniature adaptation of Mozart’s magical, family-friendly opera, are underway with a 21-member company of 16 actors and five musicians. Zimmerman celebrates three decades as Goodman Theatre’s Manilow Resident Director directing her theatrical adaptation of the beloved opera, where Prince Tamino (Billy Rude) embarks on a journey to rescue Princess Pamina (Marlene Fernandez)—the daughter of the Queen of the Night (Emily Rohm)—all with the help of a magical flute. Audiences aged 8+ will enjoy the fantastical characters coming to life in this hero’s quest, revealing that things are not always as they seem. A complete cast list appears below. The Matchbox Magic Flute appears February 10 – March 10 (opening night is Monday, February 19 at 7pm). Tickets ($25 - $90; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Flute or by phone at 312.443.3800. Goodman Theatre is grateful for the support of Mayer Brown, LLP (Corporate Sponsor), PAXXUS Inc. (Contributing Sponsor) and Russell Reynolds Associates (Contributing Sponsor).

“We’re making something that is a bit of old, and a bit of new,” said Mary Zimmerman, the Tony Award-winning adaptor/director whose first Goodman opera was Galileo Galilei with Philip Glass (2002), and who more recently directed Lucia de Lammermoor (Metropolitan Opera, La Scala) and Armida, la Sonnambula, Rusalka (Metropolitan Opera). “Our process relies on the playful, creative collaboration of everyone involved, and I know I will be inspired by this beautiful, eclectic cast of musical theater artists, opera singers and musicians from different genres. I’m extremely excited to get into the room with this bunch of people.”

Playful and imaginative, it’s big music in a small space. This “matchbox” presentation of The Matchbox Magic follows the adventures of Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina. With dragons, a man who is a bird, trials by fire and water and underground corridors, Day and Night do battle in Mary Zimmerman’s brand-new adaptation.

Full Company of The Matchbox Magic Flute (in alphabetical order)

Adapted and Directed by Mary Zimmerman

Marlene Fernandez…..Pamina

Keanon Kyles……Sarastro

Russell Mernagh…..Monostatos

Lauren Molina……Papagena/Lady

Tina Muñoz Pandya……Lady

Reese Parish…….The Spirit

Shawn Pfautsch…...Papageno

Emily Rohm…..Queen of the Night

Billy Rude….Tamino

Monica West…..Lady

Creative Team

Assistant Director….Nora Geffen

Music Adaptor and Arranger…Amanda Dehnert and Andre Pluess

Music Director….Amanda Dehnert

Sound Designer ….Andre Pluess

Associate Music Director/Conductor….Paul Mutzabaugh

Set Designer…..Todd Rosenthal

Costume Designer ……Ana Kuzmanic

Lighting Designer…..T.J. Gerckens

Wig & Hair Designer….Charles “Chuck” LaPointe

Understudies for this production include Dario Amador-Lage (Tamino), Ann Delaney (Papagena/Lady), Devin DeSantis (Papageno/Monostatos), Holly Hinchliffe (Pamina/Spirit), Nathan Karnik (Sarastro) and Emilie Lynn (Queen of the Night/Lady).

Casting is by Lauren Port, CSA. Patrick Fries is the Production Stage Manager and Beth Koehler is the Stage Manager.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES AT GOODMAN THEATRE

Touch Tour* and Audio-Described Performance: Sunday, March 3, 12:30pm Touch Tour; 2pm performance – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset.

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Saturday, March 9 at 2pm – Professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.

Spanish-Subtitled Performance: Saturday, March 9 at 7:30pm – An LED sign presents Spanish-translated dialogue in sync with the performance.

Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, March 10 at 2pm – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

Visit Goodman theatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts.

EXTENSION WEEK PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, March 12 at 7:30pm

Wednesday, March 13 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, March 14 @ 2pm

Thursday, March 14 @ 7:30pm

Friday, March 15 @ 7:30pm

Saturday, March 16 @ 2pm and 7:30pm

Sunday, March 17 @ 2pm

EXTENSION WEEK II PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, March 19 @ 7:30pm

Wednesday, March 20 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, March 21 @ 2pm and 7:30pm

Friday, March 22 @ 7:30pm

Saturday, March 23 @ 2pm and 7:30pm

Sunday, March 24 @ 2pm

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director/CEO Roche Schulfer, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades.

The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of theatrical practice, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand and empathize with cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was built on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. We recognize that many other Nations consider the area we now call Chicago as their traditional homeland—including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo and Mascouten—and remains home to many Native peoples today. While we believe that our city’s vast diversity should be reflected on the stages of its largest theater, we acknowledge that our efforts have largely overlooked the voices of our Native peoples. This omission has added to the isolation, erasure and harm that Indigenous communities have faced for hundreds of years. We have begun a more deliberate journey towards celebrating Native American stories and welcoming Indigenous communities.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000.

Julie Danis is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Lorrayne Weiss is Women’s Board President and Kelli Garcia is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE November 3–27 at Lyric Opera of Chicago

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What You Need to Know About Mozart’s

THE MAGIC FLUTE 

November 3–27 at Lyric Opera of Chicago

THE MAGIC FLUTE Cory Weaver LA Opera

I'll be out to review on November 7th, so check back early and often. In the meantime, book your tickets now. It's a short run with only 7 performances, and tickets are sure to be in demand.

A prince’s valiant quest leads to love at first sight. But to prove his worth for marriage, he must first survive daring trials of wisdom and devotion. The Magic Flute, Mozart’s final opera, is full of gods and monsters, compassion and revenge, love and death—it is both a fanciful fairy tale and a profound reflection on spiritual enlightenment. Lyric Opera of Chicago presents a sumptuously bold, new-to-Chicago production that pays homage to the 1920’s silent movies and German expressionism, while remaining faithful to the magic the opera’s title promises.

•       A truly cinematic experience unlike any opera Lyric has produced. This spectacularly inventive production, created by the team of Suzanne Andrade and Barrie Kosky and directed in Chicago by Tobias Ribitzki, features eye-popping projections by animator Paul Barritt and innovative stage design and costumes by Esther Bialis. Taking its inspiration from silent films, the production foregoes the traditional spoken dialogue in between the operatic scenes. Instead, texts are projected onto the stage with musical accompaniment.

•       The most enduring classical earworm? The villainous Queen of the Night’s high-flying “Der Hölle Rache” (“Hell’s Vengeance”) is one of the most famous arias in all of opera. It is instantly recognizable from its myriad appearances in popular culture, from Disney’s Operation Dumbo Drop to the film Eat Pray Love to TV’s Gossip Girl, not to mention a long list of iconic commercials. In this production, the Queen of the Night fills the stage as a gigantic spider while her stratospheric high notes blow the roof off the Lyric Opera House.

•       An acclaimed Chicago native comes home. Renowned conductor Karen Kamensek, who was born in Chicago, makes her Lyric debut leading the Lyric Opera Orchestra in interpreting Mozart’s captivating and familiar score. In the 2019/20 season, she made a sensational Metropolitan Opera debut conducting its much-buzzed-about production of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten.

•       Lyric favorites return to Chicago. Ying Fang stars as the heroine Pamina, a role she has performed to great acclaim at the Met and in Zurich. She made her Lyric debut as another Mozartian ingenue, Zerlina, in 2019/20’s Don Giovanni. Brenton Ryan, who appeared at Lyric as the Fool in the 2015/16 production of Berg’s Wozzeck, returns in the key role of Monostatos.

•       Exciting debuts. The Magic Flute features many artists making their much-anticipated Lyric debuts in leading roles, including Lila Dufy as the Queen of the Night, Pavel Petrov as Tamino, Huw Montague Rendall as Papageno, and Tareq Nazmi as Sarastro.

•       Meet the next generation of opera stars. Six members of Lyric’s artist development program—The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center—take on featured and supporting roles in The Magic Flute: Denis Vélez is Papagena, Mathilda Edge is First Lady, Katherine DeYoung is Second Lady, Kathleen Felty is Third Lady, Martin Luther Clark is First Armored Man, and Anthony Reed is Second Armored Man.

•       A local flute with 20 years of magic. Assistant principal flautist Dionne Jackson, a Chicago native, plays Papageno’s charming flute solos from the orchestra pit. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has held the position of assistant principal flute with Lyric Opera of Chicago since 2001.

•       Only seven performances: November 3; matinees on November 7, 11, 14, and 17; and November 19 and 27.

•       2 hours and 40 minutes, including 1 intermission.

•       Sung in German with projected English texts.

•       For updated information about Lyric’s ongoing health and safety protocols visit lyricopera.org/safety

Lyric’s presentation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute is generously made possible by The Negaunee Foundation, Nancy & Sanfred Koltun, Liz Stiffel, the Gramma Fisher Foundation of Marshalltown, Iowa, Mr. & Mrs. Dietrich M. Gross, and Randy L. & Melvin R.* Berlin. *deceased

Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, American Airlines.

Lyric Opera of Chicago is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO Anthony Freud, Music Director Enrique Mazzola, and Special Projects Advisor Renée Fleming, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists—magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #Lyric2122 #LongLivePassion

For more information, visit lyricopera.org.

ACT OUT OPENING: Acclaimed Production of The Magic Flute African Style at Chicago Shakespeare

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Multicultural, family friendly fun. Do NOT miss this limited engagement. Get your tickets now before this 4 day Chicago run sells out!

Isango Ensemble's

The Magic Flute

(Impempe Yomlingo)

adapted and directed by Mark Dornford-May

words and music by Mandisi Dyantyis,

Mbali Kgosidintsi, Pauline Malefane,

Nolufefe Mtshabe 

London’s Telegraph calls South Africa's Isango Ensemble artistry “an explosion of joy from the townships of South Africa… noble and beautiful and tender and funny and touching and true… a sense of celebration and resilience, that seems to encapsulate the human spirit at its best.” This Olivier Award-winning production effortlessly relocates Mozart's magical, mysterious kingdom to a contemporary township, encompassing various African languages. A Chicago Shakespeare Theater World’s Stage presentation at Skyline Stage on Navy Pier, September 25–28, 2014. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents Isango Ensemble’s The Magic Flute (Impempe Yomlingo), bringing thirty actors and musicians from South Africa to Chicago as part of CST’s celebrated World’s Stage Series. The Magic Flute reimagines Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s most beloved operatic work, incorporating African singing, pulsating beats and spirited storytelling into this 223-year-old classic. The production will be performed at Skyline Stage on Navy Pier (next door to CST) for a limited engagement, September 25–28, 2014.  

Click here to book your tickets and learn more about this fabulous collaboration.  ChiIL Mama will be there... will YOU?!

Isango Ensemble performs THE MAGIC FLUTE, a Chicago Shakespeare Theater World’s Stage presentation from South Africa, presented in the Skyline Stage September 25–28, 2014. Photo courtesy of Isango Ensemble.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents a World's Stage production from South Africa Isango Ensemble's The Magic Flute Thirty Actors and Musicians transform Skyline Stage Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents Isango Ensemble’s The Magic Flute (Impempe Yomlingo), bringing thirty actors and musicians from South Africa to Chicago as part of CST’s celebrated World’s Stage Series. The Magic Flute reimagines Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s most beloved operatic work, incorporating African singing, pulsating beats and spirited storytelling into this 223-year-old classic. Based in Cape Town, the vibrant company of the Isango Ensemble unites the diverse nation of Africa by reinventing classics from the Western theater canon within a South African setting. Adapted and directed by Isango co-founder Mark Dornford-May, The Magic Flute took London by storm, garnering London's prestigious Laurence Olivier Award. The production will be performed at Skyline Stage on Navy Pier (next door to CST) for a limited engagement, September 25–28, 2014. With a score faithfully transposed for an orchestra of marimbas, drums and percussion, thirty actors and musicians fill the stage of The Magic Flute (Impempe Yomlingo) with sheer exuberance, celebrating the spirit of contemporary Africa. This unique interpretation resets the Western operatic classic within a South African township, utilizing traditional elements of South African heritage and various African languages. Breaking box office records at London’s Young Vic theater, the production was awarded London’s Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and France’s Globes de Cristal for Best Opera Production following a sold-out run at Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet. The Sunday Times gives the show five stars, applauding its “soaring lyricism, a sense of celebration, generous moral urgency, playful joviality—it is touching, sexy and cheeky.” The Independent hailed it as “enchantingly fresh, performed with infectious wit and visible joy.” The Magic Flute tours to Chicago Shakespeare and the United States after having thrilled over 3 million audience members worldwide in London, Dublin, Tokyo and Singapore. This production marks the Chicago debut of South Africa’s Isango Ensemble, founded by Director Mark Dornford-May and Music Director Pauliene Malefane. The company draws its performers from the townships surrounding Cape Town and speaks to a broad multicultural audience. Since its founding in 2000, the company has played to sold-out audiences around the world with numerous productions including A Christmas Carol (Ikrismaskherol), The Mysteries and Aesop’s Fables. Through its celebrated World’s Stage programming, Chicago Shakespeare has collaborated with more than 700 international artists representing 19 countries on five continents, engaging audiences in a dialogue with the world’s established and emerging theater artists. The Magic Flute (Impempe Yomlingo) is an Isango Ensemble/Eric Abraham—Young Vic production, adapted and directed by co-founder Mark Dornford-May with words and music by Mandisi Dyantyis, Mbali Kgosidintsi, Pauline Malefane and Nolufefe Mtshabe. For a video preview, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/magicflute. The Magic Flute is performed September 25–28, 2014 at Skyline Stage on Navy Pier (next door to Chicago Shakespeare). Tickets are on sale now for $20–$55. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more, as well as CST for $20 tickets for patrons under 35. All patrons receive a 40% discount on guaranteed parking in Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets or a season subscription, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit www.chicagoshakes.com.  Isango Ensemble performs THE MAGIC FLUTE, a Chicago Shakespeare Theater World’s Stage presentation from South Africa, presented in the Skyline Stage September 25–28, 2014. Photo by Keith Pattison.  ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a leading international theater company and the recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award®. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to producing extraordinary production of classics, new works and family fare; to unlocking Shakespeare’s work for educators and students; and to serving as Chicago’s cultural ambassador through its World’s Stage Series. Through a year-round season encompassing more than 600 performances, CST attracts 200,000 audience members annually. One in four of its audience members is under eighteen years old, and today its education programs have impacted the learning of over one million students. CST is proud to take an active role in empowering the next generation of literate, engaged cultural champions and creative minds. Visit www.chicagoshakes.com.