The Matchbox Magic Flute
ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY MARY ZIMMERMAN
BASED ON MOZART’S OPERA
IN ASSOCIATION WITH GOODMAN THEATRE
WEST COAST PREMIERE
RODA THEATRE
OCT 18–DEC 15, 2024
Staged on a compact set that evokes the candle-lit charm of an 18th-century opera house and the whimsy of a puppet theater, this Flute inhabits a time-spanning music hall with a high-spirited vibe. It’s romantic and grave, faithful (in its fashion) to the original, and puckishly funny…fanciful and slyly self-aware…For Zimmerman fans, the director’s transforming touch will feel both familiar and fresh. With 28 years at Berkeley Rep, including unforgettable feats like Metamorphoses and Argonautika, Zimmerman brings a kinetic and boundless imagination…animating this Flute with humor, grace, and enchanting design.
A light-hearted wonderland of castles, dragons and fairies that has a cheeky charm all its own. Sparks with a sense of frivolity and fun apropos of the season, continuing the Rep’s tradition of holiday shows that inspire revelry but eschew the chestnuts.
A lyrical, family-friendly tale of love, filled with magical instruments, epic quests, fiery trials, dragons to slay, and an evil queen to confront. An enchanting winter holiday gift from the inventive mind of MacArthur ‘genius’ Mary Zimmerman.
This Matchbox Magic Flute…is a hands-down delight and crowd-pleaser for the rest of us, and could just make Mozart fans out of the uninitiated. Bravos and bravas all around!
Zimmerman and Berkeley Rep’s venerable production team serve up not just eye-candy, but rich spectacle. The Magic Flute pays homage to grand opera without becoming entangled in the genre’s traditional wrinkles. Subtle, sophisticated nods to operatic history appear from the first moment and ingeniously continue. Zimmerman’s writing is tart, meticulously rhythmic, and updated with modern references…Delectable, satisfying…The score (adapted and arranged by Amanda Dehnert and André Pluess) is remarkable and leaves no sense of loss…only astonishment at its beauty.
Theatrical powerhouse Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses, The Arabian Nights, The White Snake) triumphantly returns to Berkeley Rep with a mesmerizing English language adaptation of Mozart’s iconic Magic Flute, using only 10 singers and five musicians. Join Tamino on a daring quest to rescue the captive princess Pamina. Encounter dragons, birdmen, and trials by fire in this enchanting microcosm of wonder where magic and music intertwine. Hailed as “a box of treasures, a haze of marvels, a banquet of dreams,” by The Chicago Reader, The Matchbox Magic Flute will transport you to realms of imagination and wonder.
Production information
Runtime: Two hours including one 15-minute intermission
Age recommendation: Suitable for ages 10 and up
Stage effects advisory: Haze and flashing lights
Content advisory: None
At Berkeley Rep, we celebrate theatre as a communal experience, and we’re delighted to bring together a mix of theatre lovers and opera enthusiasts for this production. You’re invited to enjoy the show in your own way — whether that’s with laughter, cheers, or quiet appreciation. Our hope is that everyone feels welcome to fully engage in a way that brings both joy to you and respect to the performance and your fellow audience members.
Cast
(in order of appearance)
Reese Parish | The Spirit
Billy Rude* | Tamino
Lauren Molina* | First Lady, Papagena
Monica West* | Second Lady (through Nov 10)
Ann Delaney* | Second Lady (as of Nov 12)
Tina Muñoz-Pandya | Third Lady
Shawn Pfautsch* | Papageno
Emily Rohm* | Queen of the Night
Russell Mernagh* | Monostatos, Armored Guard
Marlene Fernandez* | Pamina
Fernando Watts | Sarastro, Armored Guard
Understudies
(in alphabetical order)
Alicia Berneche | Second Lady, Queen of the Night
Daryn Whitney Harrell* | The Spirit, Third Lady
Josh Houghton* | Papageno
Nathan Karnik | Sarastro
Elliott Litherland* | Tamino, Monostatos, Armored Guard
Emma Rosenthal* | First Lady, Papagena, Pamina
Musicians
Sheela Ramesh | Associate Music Director, Conductor and Piano, Keyboard Glockenspiel
Ellie Falaris Ganelin | Flute / Piccolo
Brietta Greger | Percussion
Joshua Mikus-Mahoney | Cello
Christina Walton | Violin
Creative team
Mary Zimmerman | Adaptor and Director
Todd Rosenthal | Scenic Design
Ana Kuzmanić | Costume Design
T.J. Gerckens | Lighting Design
André Pluess | Sound Design, Music Adapter and Arranger
Amanda Dehnert | Music Director, Music Adapter and Arranger
Charles G. LaPointe | Wig and Hair Design
Marne Anderson* | Stage Manager
Sofie Miller* | Assistant Stage Manager
* Indicates a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional stage actors and stage managers in the United States
Musicians in this production are members of Musicians United Local 6, American Federation of Musicians
Season sponsors
Photo by Alessandra Mello/Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Reese Parish (The Spirit), Billy Rude (Tamino), and Russell Mernagh (Monostatos, Armored Guard) in The Matchbox Magic Flute