Benjamin Richardson's Final Report, #5

It's me again, Benjamin Richardson, Second Spirit. Looking back on this whole Magic Flute experience is incredible. I was onstage singing with well-known singers while on a scooter and 10 feet high on a catwalk! That has got to be one of the most unique experiences ever. I had the time of my life playing the Second Spirit. This was (98% sure) the last time I will ever be a Spirit in this opera, and I will never forget it. The cast was such great fun to work with, and everyone was so nice and helpful. I loved coming back to the Greenroom after singing in front of hundreds of people, on a catwalk, and wearing a red wig, to find people waiting to play poker or another game. It was very serious onstage, but surprisingly casual when we weren’t singing.

The last performance went very well, and nothing seemed to go wrong except for one minor accident. I previously had made a mental note to lean forward more when I get up from lying down on the catwalk so that the lights would shine on me. I forgot one small thing, though. When I crawled back up from my laying position, leaning a little more forward than usual, my whole head banged on the railing above me. The red wig shielded my head, but it still made a huge gong-like noise onstage. Casi Goodman, the Third Spirit, could hardly keep herself from laughing. The rest of the performance was superb, and I think that everyone must have loved the Queen of the Night a lot that night, for when she came out to bow she received the biggest roar of applause of any character on any night!

Alissa Henderson, Benjamin Richardson, and Casi Goodman as the Three Spirits in The Magic Flute.
Photo by Rozarii Lynch

It really was the most fun series of performances I have ever done. I had such a great time working with the other Spirits, Alissa Henderson and Casi Goodman, and I hope someday we will end up doing another opera together. Our Director, Chris Alexander, was a wonderful person to work with. He completely made what this opera what it was, and without him it couldn’t have been so successful. Rehearsals with him were always productive and creative, and I appreciated every one of his ideas on how to make the opera better.

Backstage at The Magic Flute: Papageno cowers, near the front of the stage, while Anubis with red brooms sweep away the Three Ladies from the "blacklight" zone upstage (Photo by Alan Alabastro)

I want to congratulate the entire cast for putting on magnificent performances and for making this one of the most amazing experiences of my life! You shall always remain in my memory, and I hope to continue singing with you.