Finding the magic: as performers, we spend our whole careers striving to bring magic to audiences. We chase after our ideal imagined performances and hope to approximate these in our delivery.
The “magic,” of course, isn’t about having a perfect technique or sound. It’s beyond that—it’s in the charged connection that happens between audience and artist in the best performances. It’s in the collective bonding in the concert space, the shared sense of belonging in the now of the moment. It’s when the rest of the world falls away and performer and audience are transported into another realm.
And the good news is that . . .
Magical performances don’t just happen in high profile concert halls with celebrity artists.
Years ago, my friend and former Manhattan School of Music colleague, Casey Molino Dunn invited me to a special performance he was doing with Opera on Tap. It was part of their Playground Series, a children’s performance of The Magic Flute staged on the playground of PS 129 in Queens in 2015. Casey played a terrific Papageno (above with Papagena).
The whole experience was one of the most engaging and magical performances I’ve ever been to. It was memorable enough that I’m still thinking and writing about it all these years later.
Staging Magic
The staging was minimal but worked well: a double set of slides on a big jungle gym complete with an upper balcony area.
The inspired orchestration was also minimal: just one violin, a flute, an electric guitar, and one tuba. I know this unlikely scoring might seem ludicrous, but other than the violin needing to be miked in a few places, it worked surprisingly well.
At PS 129, Mrs. Fuller’s class was part of the cast: they helped play the dragon, sang as the chorus, and helped with scene changes.
The arias were sung in German with commentary in English from a wild-haired “master of ceremonies” character named “Mr. Mozart.” He helped explain bits of the plot shenanigans and offered comments at key moments such as, “Hold on: she’s about to sing!”
The audience was situated in front of the jungle gym and at strategic plot points we were treated to dustings of fairy glitter.
In the end, magical performances help us all feel more alive.
To sit with the kids and see Mozart’s fairy tale unfold with the characters just a few feet in front of us—with singers entering scenes by going down slides—all this reminded me of why we make music in the first place: to make space for wonder in our lives.
Seeing the reactions of the children—both the ones performing from Mrs. Fuller’s class and the ones I got to sit with—that was the biggest gift. Their enthusiasm was contagious and made me see the world as full of possibilities.
It was a much needed reminder of why we make music and why it matters now more than ever.
Think about the most engaging performances you’ve ever experienced and what made them magical for you.
Consider what you can do to make more of these happen.
And if you’d like help tapping into more of your own magic and getting it out into the world, let’s connect.
For info on working with me: details are HERE.
Looking forward to connecting,
Dream Big, Plan Smart, Live Well!
