A MAGICAL EVENING OF OPERA

A small number of Hopetoun residents travelled to Esperance by bus recently to attend Opera Australia’s performance of Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’.  The bus was made available free through the generosity of the Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council. Jan and John Fields volunteered as drivers. Passengers were vocal in their appreciation of this generous joint effort which enabled them to enjoy a high quality performance not always available to small regional towns.

On national tour, the company adapted the Magic Flute to an Egyptian temple setting. The set design and costuming gave an authenticity to this choice and enhanced the performance. Of particular note was Regina Daniel’s role as Queen of the Night. Her breathtaking ability to maintain purity of sound while reaching the highest notes in opera was enthusiastically applauded by all. Nicholas Jones’ engaging characterisation of the comedy role of Tamino caused ripples of laughter, especially when he engaged with the ladies group played by Anna Yun Emma Casteller and Hannah Dahlenburg.

As is the practice of Opera Australia, a local group of singers, including schoolchildren, were given the opportunity to be a part of the performance. One of the schoolgirls was ex-Hopetoun student, Abbey Berryman. The orchestra was professionally conducted by Paul Fitzsimon. The orchestra pit was clearly visible to the audience and so, on various occasions, eyes were drawn to the skills of the different musicians.

 Adding to the enjoyment of the outing was the sharing of a delicious pre-ordered Banquet at the Golden Oriental As a result, the group arrived at the Civic Centre in great spirit to be met by Ross Becket, the Civic Centre Manager, who had alerted our group to this wonderful opportunity and given us the special discount ticket price. Hopefully there will be future opportunities for similar theatre outings. 

Fay O’Brien   

The Magic Fluters