In 1976, Ingmar Bergman directed a film adaptation of the opera, which was awarded four stars by my late husband Roger Ebert, Sinister Wizards and Unlikely Special Effects, and to film it he decided to stay in time, work directly and in his own right Approach ghost as some kind of creepy, funny bedtime story. […] Bergman lets us see how the special effects work, he gives us backstage glimpses of the players rushing to take clues and relax during the break, and we’re reminded of the many other backstage scenes in his films . We should be aware of seeing a performance and yet, in a way, Bergman also wants Mozart’s fantasy to work as a story, as an absurd story, and it does. It has to be the most delightful film ever made out of an opera. “
One of the things that made Roger and I bond was our love of opera. In fact, our first date was at Lyric Opera (“Tosca”), and I’m on the board now. While our strongest emotions tend towards more traditional performances, we have also encouraged a reinterpretation of contemporary opera using the talents of current lyricists and creatives. Roger would have praised the Lyric Opera’s presentation of The Magic Flute. I encourage the steps Lyric is taking to bring opera to a wider audience, including the Lyric Unlimited Committee, which has worked with neighborhood groups and schools in Chicago.
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