By Sarah Valek
After making their debut last fall with The Tale of the Name of Tree, Talespinner Children’s Theatre (TCT) has returned with their second production, Magic Flute, which runs until Sun 12/23.
Magic Flute, simply put, is wondrous. Adapted from the Mozart opera The Magic Flute, TCT’s production is a re-telling of the tale of Papageno, the best bird catcher in the land, who has the chance to become something he never expected… and someone who, quite frankly, he isn’t. Along the way, and with the help of his best friend Papagena, he must battle a dragon, some evil servants and the Queen of the Night to “become the person he must be to win the day.”
The tale has enough complexities to keep older kids and adults entertained, yet younger kids won’t be completely lost. I saw several teenagers in attendance and heard them raving about the show afterwards. I don’t think my almost-five-year-old understood everything that was happening (there are many characters with odd names), but nevertheless he was still very amused.
I thought TCT’s last production was great, but Magic Flute was even better; it’s stunning on many levels. Running just over an hour, the production combined puppetry, music and audience participation (bird calls and call-and-response) into a show that was magical… and somewhat mysterious. The play starts seemingly out of nowhere — suddenly people you thought were audience members are leaping out of their seats, trying to help a man carry a large stack of luggage — and suddenly we’re transported to a land of Forest Spirits, bird catchers and the Queen of the Night.
TCT is a small yet mighty troupe that amazes in what it accomplishes. The set is frugal but clever and visually stunning (old umbrellas with glittering streamers where hung up as chandeliers in the palace). Everything has a homemade touch, with much attention to detail. The costumes (especially the dark sparkling dress of the Queen of the Night) were lovely. Seriously, there is immense talent in TCT and, if you haven’t taken your kids to see one of their shows, GO. I can see TCT quickly becoming a pride of Cleveland — one of those institutions we brag about to curious travelers (and fellow parents).
Up next for Talespinner Children’s Theatre: The Tinder Box (by Hans Christian Anderson) — 4/6 – 4/28/13; The Emperor’s Ears (a Serbian folktale) — 6/15 – 7/6/13; and Adventures in Slumberland (by David Hansen) — 11/30 – 12/22/13. http://TalespinnerChildrensTheatre.org
Cool Cleveland editor Sarah Valek graduated from Ithaca College with a double-major in arts and writing. After graduation, she came back to her beloved city and served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. She currently spends her days chasing after her toddler-age son, drinking soy lattes and digging up the coolest events around town. Contact her at CoolEditorATCoolCleveland.com.
Cleveland, OH 44102