Isango Ensemble's 'The Magic Flute' Is A Must-See For All
Emily White ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
The Magic Flute tells the story of a young man named Tamino who must face a multitude of challenges, with the help of a magical flute, in order to win over his love, Pamina, the beautiful daughter of the Queen of the Night. The story’s strange supernatural elements, including mischievous magical ladies, birds of thunder and lightning, trials of fire and water, and, of course, the mysterious magical flute, have always astounded and confounded audiences throughout the centuries. Intriguingly, these elements parallel a story in Tsonga tradition of lightning as caused by mystical mountain birds. The lightning can only be stopped by a brave person who climbs to the top of the mountains and plays an enchanted flute until the birds are subdued. This parallel may or may not have directly influenced Mozart’s story creation, but it is highly emphasized in this production, which sets the story in a mystical forest in Africa, and is performed mostly in English, but also partially in an African language.
In addition, the passionate, full-bodied, dance-focused performances of the ensemble add a great deal of meaning to the words that made the whole house uproar in laughter, and the ensemble updated and changed the Mozart piece through musical choices. The instrumentation of the show was almost entirely marimba, drum, and vocal, which gave the familiar and old-fashioned music a fresh and lively feel. The performers all gave incredible and complex dance performances as well, which crossed decades, perhaps centuries of styles, from traditional to contemporary which wowed audiences, who lauded the company with a standing ovation at the end. And, of course, all of the vocal performances were absolutely incredible and note-perfect, not a weak link in the large group.
The experience of this opera can only be compared to seeing a Shakespeare play performed live for the first time. It was engaging, challenging, eye-opening, and fun all at once, and it should certainly not be missed by audiences of all ages and experience levels.