julie taymor's idea from age 12

I bet the set/scenic design in The Metropolitan Opera's Magic Flute seemed like a really amazing idea in 1976.

Julie Taymor, did you really consent to having your name used for this, and can't you stop them now? If you were in an altered state when you signed, that's not legally binding, you know. I know there's not much to do with a fantastical cornucopia of Freemason references married to the lamest romances, and I liked my magnifying bug box from the zoo, too, but it just doesn't really 'work' really big, on stage, with Tron-esque neon light tubes, no magnifying part(s), and costumes somewhere between Dr. Seuss, Japanese puppets, and Cirque de Soleil. However confusing/poor the writing, the visual "F- you, audience" didn't help.

And Met Opera knows it's turning out a slipshod piece, by its very nature, and essentially admits this. LZP found a quote in the program in an attempt to explain the poorly strung storyline, "The word 'magic' is in the title for a reason." (Paraphrased, but to that effect.) Thank you, Metropolitan Opera, for opening our eyes; we simply hadn't known this was an acceptable excuse.

"But it's a magical thesis!"

"It may seem like I didn't do what I swore I would, but that's all part of the illusion because, you see, it was a magical promise!"

M'ya.

Other than a strangely bass female voice in the audience belting out, "Yeah," in answer to the lead male's question if he were still alive and the six year old next to us lipsynching to the opera, gesticulating grandly, it was just so underwhelming (though I do still want one of those bears hanging from my bedroom ceiling). I'll cut Taymor slack because the film Frida is so visually lush, but there's tarnish on the mental medal she wears in my mind's eye.

Want to polish the medal. Wantsees eet to be SHINY. Blinding even.