The Minnesota Opera will open Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio November 1 in a James Robinson staging called “a winner” by The Washington Post. Mozart’s comic genius shines throughout this vaudeville from the Age of the Enlightenment, co-produced with the Houston Grand Opera and several other companies.
As Belmonte and his servant set out to rescue their lovers held hostage on a train bound from Istanbul to Paris, hilarious hijinks are all aboard the Orient Express.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Altenbach, joins The Minnesota Opera for this glamorous ride. Canadian tenor Michael Colvin makes his company debut as Belmonte with Jennifer Casey Cabot as Konstanze, Harold Wilson as Osmin, Jeffrey Halili as Pedrillo, Kathleen Kim as Blonde and Ben Johnson as Pasha Selim.
“We’re very excited to present this delightful re-imagining of a classic Mozart comedy,” says Artistic Director Dale Johnson. “The creative team took an opera composed in a period of history when Europeans were fascinated by the exotisicm of Turkey, and set it in another period of heightened interest in the Middle East - the 1920s. By placing the action in the close quarters of moving train cars, this production creates an environment that magnifies the action and comedic situations of the plot. It also has an Art Deco glamour and slapstick humor reminiscent of silent movies of that period, which perfectly suits the youthful exuberance of Mozart’s sparkling score.” -- www.mnopera.org
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