The Magic Flute

A production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" is presented, this film which blurs the lines of it as a stage production - not only with aspects of the theater stage shown, but also the occasional shot of the audience members watching it, and the performers going through their backstage routines during intermission - and a movie as the set moves out from the confines of the stage. The actual story concerns Tamino, a prince, falling in love with Pamina solely from seeing her photograph, Pamina's mother, the Queen of the Night, vowing that Pamina will be his if he rescues her from Sarastro, a demon who has captured her. On behalf of the Queen, three of her attendants, "ladies", who saved Tamino from a serpent, provide him with a magic flute to entice Pamina, and three child angels, who will act as his guides. The ladies also dispatch the pan-flute playing Papageno, a bird catcher who laments not being married himself, with Tamino, they providing him with magic bells as