The Central Methodist University opera troupe, under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Ray, will present The Magic Flute this February. Two shows, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 12 and Saturday, February 14, will take place in The Little Theatre for free admission.

The Magic Flute, an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, will be sung in German with English supertitles. The classic story is often hailed as a perfect show for a first-time opera watcher and tells the story of Prince Tamino and the bird catcher Papageon, who sent out to rescue Princess Pamina from the evil Queen of the Night.

Ray, associate professor of music, will serve as the director, music director, and conductor for the show, while Prof. Zachary Kierstead assists as the pianist, and Prof. Lonna Wilke and Mrs. Terri Rohlfing contribute their talents for technical and costume design, respectively.

The fifth full-length opera produced by the CMU troupe in four years, the classic singspiel (German opera with dialogue) will be performed with a 13-piece chamber orchestra that includes a string quartet. A total of 21 singers of various ages and majors – as well as a few surprise guests – make up the opera troupe this year.

Ray encourages everyone to consider seeing the show over Valentine’s Day weekend and not be deterred by the fact that it’s sung in German.

“Mozart's The Magic Flute is often called the number one opera to see if you have never experienced an opera before. It's a classic fantasy story of good versus evil that blends comedy and drama together perfectly,” he said. “There will be English supertitles, so you know exactly what's going on. And the spoken dialogue portions will be in English, too.”

In addition to the two evening performances, a shortened 45-minute English version of the opera will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 13 for local elementary school students. Contact Dr. Ray for more information about bringing a child to experience the family-friendly opera.