Don't rain on my opera: Seoul to stage ‘The Magic Flute’ under the stars

What if it rains during an open-air opera performance?

That’s the question for the organizers of the Seoul Metropolitan Opera’s outdoor production of Mozart’s "Die Zauberflote" (The Magic Flute), scheduled for June 1 and 2 at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. With fingers crossed -- and some cautious optimism drawn from weather data -- they’re hoping the skies will stay clear, not just for comfort, but because they have a grand plan for transforming the city center into an open-air opera stage, part of a broader effort to make opera more accessible to the public.

For the first time, the main staircase of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will be turned into a stage, making the performance easily visible from anywhere in the square. A five-meter-high LED screen will also be installed, allowing people across the square to enjoy the performance.

Rain would be a major letdown for the roughly 6,000 people expected to attend over the two-day run, including the lucky 1,980 who secured free tickets when they became available online on May 9. All the tickets were gone in under a minute. According to the organizers, another 4,000 people are expected to gather around the stage without tickets, just as they did last year.

Rain disrupted the first edition of the open-air opera in 2023, forcing performers to sing to a pre-recorded orchestra track. Last year, however, the company’s gamble paid off: “Cavalleria Rusticana” went ahead as planned, thanks to what artistic director Park Hye-jin called a strategic choice based on years of weather data.

This year, the decision was trickier. “Gwanghwamun Square has become a popular venue, and our scheduling window was limited,” Park said. “Among the dates offered, we chose the one with the lowest historical chance of rain.”

In the event of more than 5 millimeters of rain, the performances will be canceled, according to the organizers.

Should that happen, another group likely to be disappointed is the citizen chorus -- a 137-member ensemble drawn from four local choirs who will take the stage with Hankyung arte Philharmonic under the baton of conductor Kim Kwang-hyun.

Most of the citizen ensemble have little to no experience performing in a professional opera production, making the opportunity especially meaningful.

The size of the citizen ensemble has grown significantly -- from 79 members in 2023 to 123 last year -- in response to overwhelming public interest and the organizers’ desire to broaden community participation.

“I never imagined myself even watching an opera production, let alone singing in one,” said Kim Sok-woo, who is participating in the production for a second year as a member of the citizen ensemble. “Last year, I brought my mother and mother-in-law to the performance. It was their first opera in the nearly 80 years of their lives. They loved it and asked me to invite them again this year.”

The citizen ensemble will be joined by the Winner Opera Chorus, a professional vocal group.

Their joint appearance, said Park, will highlight the transformative power of choral music.

“There's a unique power in choral singing -- many people coming together on stage, not just professional vocalists but everyday citizens as well," Park said.

Directed by Jang Jae-ho, the production will feature tenors Kim Hyo-jong and Konstantin Lee as Tamino, and sopranos Kim Soon-young and Yang Gui-bee as Pamina. The role of the Queen of the Night, who sings the iconic aria “Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen,” will be shared by Lee Ha-na and Celine Mun.

Now in its third year, the open-air opera series is presented by the Seoul Metropolitan Opera, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Both performances will start at 7:30 p.m. Reserved seats not claimed by 7:00 p.m. on the day of the performance will be released to those waiting onsite.