Opera Mississippi Brings The Magic Flute to Mississippi College
This weekend, Mississippi College will host a performance from Mississippi's professional opera company.
On Saturday, April 26, 2025, Opera Mississippi will perform “The Magic Flute” in Swor Auditorium at Mississippi College.
“Opera Mississippi is one of the oldest opera companies in America — the ninth oldest continuously operating opera company in the U.S.,” Ben Williams said. Williams is the chair of the Department of Music at MC, the President of the Board of Opera Mississippi, and the logistics coordinator for “The Magic Flute.”
Written by Mozart, “The Magic Flute” tells the story of the rescue of Princess Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night, by Prince Tamino, who wields a magic flute and magic bells.
One of the many appeals of opera is its storytelling quality. “There’s a story in the musical, but part of it is told with just dialogue,” Williams said. “But the opera part tells the entire story with music the entire time.” In Mississippi, where prevalent storytellers such as Faulkner and Welty originated, opera has a special place in the community.
Beginning work on this production has taken time and dedication, as the number of opera singers in the southeast region is limited. Williams has done extensive behind-the-scenes work coordinating and facilitating rehearsals and paying the actors.
As the logistics coordinator, Williams also faced the significant challenge of selecting the venue for the production. “Thalia Mara, the hall in Jackson, needed to go under renovations due to some health issues,” Williams said. “Those renovations are still being done right now. And so, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra has had to find different venues.” When MC offered to host “The Magic Flute,” it was a happy partnership, providing both a venue for the performers of Opera Mississippi and a unique experience for the students of MC.
“The Magic Flute” has been a long time in the making, originally slated for production last year. “We had problems with things last year,” Williams said. “But because of that, we actually did a summer tour of a children’s version of this opera last year.” In that summer production, all of the roles were filled by current MC music students.
Williams hopes that this production will make opera more approachable. With supertitles, elaborate sets, extravagant costumes, and grand music, he says, “The Magic Flute” is an accessible gateway to opera. “The music is easy to understand, and the costumes are very clear,” Williams said. “It’s not an overly complicated story. It’s an easy entry point.”
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