A Magic Flute Experience: The Temple Synopsis
The Temple is the hottest night club in town, and the best kept secret. This world within a speakeasy is filled with entertainers of every persuasion, and a staff of opera singers producing fabulous shows every night.
Tamino has come to town looking for a job, and luckily for him the Temple is short staffed. But as with all new hires a little hazing happens first. Our circus performers have an amazing dragon dance, which terrifies and amazes Tamino causing him to faint. When he comes to, three beautiful ladies, the pillars, surround him. They explain the ideals of the temple, art, wisdom, and beauty unashamed. Papa does a quick onboarding, making sure Tamino is ready to mix the drinks to The Temple’s high standards. When meeting his coworkers, Tamino instantly falls in love with Pamina (a red-flag for everyone involved, as love grows over time with clear and healthy communication).
Queenie, Pamina’s mother, sees Tamino’s lust as an opportunity for career advancement, convincing him to seduce her rival, once friend, Sara Strow, causing her to miss her number, and opening up the stage for Queenie’s return. Tamino agrees in exchange for Pamina’s love, though she was in no way involved in the deal. While cleaning up her mother’s mess, Pamina has vision visitors, first in the form of Papagena, who explains that confidence and sexuality are a very powerful tool in femininity. The pillars then share their secret to power, a confident voice speaking up for your self and others, even when it’s difficult. Just as the visions began they are gone, and back in the real world Papa tries to convince Pamina to just talk to Queenie and salvage their mother/daughter relationship. Pamina, still timid, decides it is easier to just run away.
Now it’s time for our headliner, the sparkling spitfire Sara Strow. Her rich and deep vocals share the capitalistic side of music, and the desire for more; more fame, more jewels, and most of all more admiration from her loyal fans.
Tamino uses this moment and seizes the opportunity to seduce Sara, who willingly agreed for some fun with the handsome new bartender.
With half the cast missing, Papa and the pillars are forced to stall, improvising a summary of what has happened so far for our well-served patrons.
Queenie “saves the day” with her iconic role, The Queen of the Night. This German classic takes the show to new levels, Brava! But of course we know Queenie set Sara up to grab this moment. In an attempt to secure her new status, Queenie gives Pamina a poisoned “Magic Flute” of champagne and orders her to kill Sara Strow.
An existential crisis occurs, as Pamina debates doing as she was told, or disappointing her mother but saving Sara. Ultimately Pamina decides it would be easier to just drink the poison herself, than to let her mother win by hurting another person.
In the nick of time Sara and Tamino return, entangled, bumping into Pamina and spilling the now poisoned Magic Flute. A fight ensues, where Tamino confesses his love to Pamina, right after sleeping with Sara, who is understandably furious. Pamina tries to calm tensions, but Sara ultimately fires Tamino and bans him from the bar.
It’s time for Papa’s big number, but thrown off by all the fighting and unnecessary drama, he decides to pontificate on why he will be lifelong bachelor, by choice. From no where Papagena appears, debating with him on the virtues and benefits of love, and since she is so good with words, among other things, Papa changes his mind and is smitten. As he decides to go off with his new-found infatuation, he passes the keys to Pamina, leaving her in charge.
Pamina is now the boss, but she didn’t want that. She still lacks the confidence and power a women needs in the world. Queenie seizes the opportunity to try and take the keys from Pamina, luckily she refuses, but decides she will leave the bar with Tamino. Anywhere must be better than here. Sara interrupts, to almost apologize for her blowup, but is re-triggered by Queenie and a fight ensues. Pamina is finished, tired of the fighting, tired of the stress and being in the middle. With a confident “Shut up mother,” the pillars praise Pamina for finding her voice, and with that she is ready for the Trial….
The dragon returns, to destroy either Queenie or Sara, leaving one star for one spotlight, but Pamina must choose. Everything Pamina once loved about The Temple feels gone; the beautiful they created with family and friends, the spotlight big enough for everyone, and the confidence to try new things together. Pamina decides not to choose, and instead to play the Magic Flute. The crystalline sounds rise, hypnotizing the dragon, and breaking the vicious cycle of their own creation.
Papa and Papagena return asking “What did we miss?” A lot, you missed a flocking lot, the cast shouts sharing all that happened while they were entwined other places. Wisely Papa praises Pamina, for learning to use her voice. Queenie apologizes as well as Sara, with forgiveness The Temple can move forward, returning to the idealized world of free artistic creation and mutual respect. Papa introduces Papagena to his chosen family, though a bird seems to catch his tongue in the moment.
“Beauty and wisdom are crowned eternal” we end back in German, a return to Mozart’s original vision of enlightenment.
