‘The Magic Flute’ on Dec. 20

Residents are invited to come and watch the highly imaginative musical “The Magic Flute” on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 1:30 p.m. in the Learning Center of Clubhouse 3.

The piece is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera from 1791, based on the allegorical librettoofEmanuelSchikaneder, wherein musicologists have been trying to decipher its meaning for over 200 years. The club’s own Beverly Emus will introduce this sing-spiel and tender an explanation for the audience to consider when listening to humanity’s greatest composer’s work with its mystical and spiritual undertones.

Act1introducestheaudience to the heroic protagonist Tamino, who is being attacked by a monstrous snake but is rescued by three ladies-inwaiting to the Queen of the Night. Simultaneously, he is befriended by the Queen’s birdcatcher, Papageno, who initially takes credit for dispatching the snake,butwhoisswiftlybrought to correct his false assertions. Most importantly however, Tamino gets asked to rescue the Queen’s beautiful daughter, Pamina, who was snatched by a powerful man, Sarastro, who apparently intends to marry her.

Tamino and Papageno get strangely armed with a magic flute and silver bells and set out to find and bring back the beautiful Pamina. No sooner than arriving in Sarastro’s Egyptian compound, they find themselves in a religious cult where they are to be tested—in silence—under demanding conditions of fire and water, along with the threatening presence of Sarast ro’s bodyguard, Monostatos.

Act 2 finds Tamino is to be judged by a panel of Egyptian priests for his worthiness to merit the beautiful Pamina. However, Pamina is near despair because of Tamino’s vow of silence, and she is further sent a dangerous knife by her mother, the Queen of the Night, and told to kill Sarastro.

Amid this tension, there is comic relief as the bird-catcher Papageno is confronted by a figure alleged to be his future wife. In any case, Tamino succeeds in aceing all his tests earning the right to claim Pamina as his bride, and his sidekick Papageno is rewarded with an adorable and attractive wife.

TheproductionisinGerman with English subtitles. People are encouraged to wear masks indoors—if desired. No dues or fees are collected.

For more information, contact the newly elected Opera Club President Margaret Gillon at MargaretGi@yahoo.com or call 562-370-3844.