"The opera begins ingeniously in a young boys bedroom; the father enters and gives the boy a storybook entitled, “The Magic Flute”. The boy clandestinely reads the book, falls asleep and dreams of this wonderful story.  The Three Ladies come into his dreams and beckon him and the audience into a dreamlike netherworld. A world where there are evil queens, bird catchers, and little boy spirits.   Throughout the opera, the boy’s bedroom resurfaces, reminding the audience that it is a dream, surreptitiously appearing and reappearing by sneaky little dancers that are – for this production – multi-purpose. Really, very smart. Well done, Mr. Buchman. Well done.​

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The First, Second, and Third Ladies were very well matched vocally and were comedically staged perfectly. Often, these Ladies can seem either too serious or too silly. In this production, they were equally regal and slapstick. In another brilliant move, Buchman has Sarastro play the young boy’s father in the opening scene. A little foretelling, anyone?  I felt Buchman’s concept was unique and I loved it.  I urge every Mozart lover, every opera lover and all those yet uninitiated into this fine world we operagoers inhabit – GO. This is an excellent performance, with an exceptional cast."​

OPERAGASM