Synopsis
Long Story Short
A distressed queen sends a prince (and his sidekick) off to rescue a kidnapped princess. But then the twist: the queen was lying. Instead of returning to the queen, the prince and princess embark on a journey toward truth and light.
Who’s Who?
Tamino is a handsome young prince.
Papageno is a good-natured birdcatcher who travels with Tamino.
Papagena is a pretty girl who likes Papageno.
Sarastro is a wise wizard and the benevolent ruler of a holy brotherhood.
The Queen of the Night is Pamina’s mother and Sarastro’s enemy.
Pamina is a beautiful princess and the Queen of the Night’s daughter. When the opera begins, she is a prisoner in Sarastro’s temple.
Monostatos is a temple guard in Sarastro’s community. He has the hots for Pamina.
The Three Ladies are servants of the Queen of the Night.
The Three Boys are spirits who guide Tamino and Papageno.
In the land where fairy-tales take place, a dragon is chasing young Prince Tamino. Three ladies kill the monster, then show the prince a picture of Pamina, the Queen of the Night’s daughter. He falls madly in love, and the Queen asks him to rescue Pamina, who has been kidnapped by the wicked Sarastro. The birdcatcher Papageno is enlisted as Tamino’s sidekick; Tamino is entrusted with a magic flute and Papageno with a set of magic bells.
Our heroes make it to Sarastro’s citadel, where Papageno protects Pamina from Monostatos, an amorous guard, while a wise priest explains to Tamino that the Queen is really the evil one: Sarastro kidnapped Pamina to rescue her from her mother’s evil influence. Tamino and Pamina undertake the series of tests and trials which will grant them entrance to Sarastro’s community. Monostatos, too, switches sides when the Queen of the Night offers him Pamina in exchange for betraying Sarastro. And Papageno fails all Sarastro’s tests, but runs off with the girl of his dreams.