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  • Home
  • About
  • Events
  • Operas
    • The Magic Flute
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    • Archive
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TICKETS

The Magic Flute

    Rehearsals are underway for Mozart's "The Magic Flute"

    BEHIND THE SCENES

    CAST

    We are pleased to be working with students from Albright College from the Vocal Music Department again!

    Joey Curry

    Narrator #1 (Frick)


    Joey is a freshman at Albright College. He just finished his first show on campus, Circle Mirror Transformation (Schultz). Joey is a member of Albright Choir and Chamber Singers as well as improv and the advanced improv troupe Pockets of Purgatory. 

    Murphy McCabe

    Narrator #2 (Frack)


    Murphy McCabe is a junior at Albright College. He is excited to be in his first Opera with Berks Opera. Murphy has participated in many Domino Player productions at Albright including The Glass Menagerie, Urinetown, and As You Like It. 

    Angel Alvarado

    Tamino


    Angel is a junior at Albright College pursuing a co major in theatre and vocal performance. He is so excited to be working with Berks Opera Company again following his performance as Witch in Hänsel and Gretel last fall.

    Connor McLaughlin

    Papageno


    Connor McLaughlin is an Albright Alumni from 2019. He has recently worked with Laconia Theater in a production of Small Mouth Sounds, and has been seen before with Berks Opera Company in the role of The Big Bad Wolf in both Little Red's Most Unusual Day and The Three Little Pigs and Schaumbacher in These Hills and Valleys. 

    Myleigh Snyder

    Pamina


    Myleigh Snyder is a senior at Albright College, pursuing a co major in theatre and vocal performance. Myleigh’s recent performance credits include Petra in A Little Night Music, Little Red’s Mother/Granny Hood in Little Red’s Most Unusual Day, and Hänsel in Hänsel and Gretel. Myleigh also made her directing debut this fall with Annie Baker’s Circle, Mirror, Transformation. 

    Julia Charette Poole

    The Queen of the Night


    Julia Charette Poole, soprano, is a senior at Albright College, pursuing a co major in theatre and vocal performance. She has been involved in every play, musical, and opera that Albright has produced during her time there. Over the summer, she trained at the Austrian American Mozart Academy in Salzburg. She studied opera and performed the role of The Queen of The Night. 

    Brooke Gibson

    First Lady


    Brooke is a junior at Albright College, pursuing a co major in theatre and vocal performance. This is her third opera and tenth overall production at Albright. Her recent credits include Circle Mirror Transformation (Assistant Director), A Little Night Music (Mrs. Nordstrom), The Vagina Monologues (Ensemble), Hänsel and Gretel (Gingerbread Child/Assistant Director), and Amahl and the Night Visitors (Co Stage Manager/Shepherd's Chorus).

    Bailey Erskine

    Second Lady


    Bailey Erskine is a senior at Albright College. This is her second opera, however this is Bailey’s fifteenth production at Albright college. She has enjoyed performing on the stage and has especially loved how playful this opera is.

    Taylor Meachum

    Third Lady


    Taylor is a sophomore at Albright College, pursuing a co major in vocal performance and communications. She is thrilled to be doing her second opera in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Her previous roles include The Sandman in Hänsel and Gretel and Deloris in Sister Act.

    Elizabeth Katz

    First Spirit


    Elizabeth Katz is a junior at Albright College. She is a vocalist with a focus on rock and punk music. Growing up, she always loved to sing and jumped at every opportunity. She went to two School of Rock branches over the span of three years and has begun to develop her vocal ability further at Albright College with the help of her professors. She hopes to become as versatile a vocalist as possible and is excited for the chance to grow her repertoire and gain different experience.

    Jocelyn McLaughlin

    Second Spirit


    Jocelyn is a junior at Albright College, pursuing a degree in biological psychology major with plans to attend medical school in the future.

    Allison Eckstein

    Third Spirit


    Allison Eckstein is a freshman at Albright College, pursuing a co major in Theatre and Vocal Performance. She has performed in numerous musical theatre productions and is thrilled to be exploring opera for the first time.

    Andrew Maier

    Sarastro

     

    Graduate of Williams College Class of 1971.  Served as President of the Williams College Choral Society.  Started singing as a Choir Boy at Christ Episcopal Church at around age 5.


    Husband of June T. Maier, Albright Class of 1976.  


    Son of William E. Maier, Albright Class of 1931, who coached Jeff Lentz during his undergraduate years at Albright.

    Isabella Tewfik

    Papagena


    ...

    ORCHESTRA

     Jimmy Damore - Piano

    Sharon Jones - Violin

    John Pankratz - Cello

    Luis Villafañe - Bass

    Cayden Holmes - Flute

    Adam Price - Clarinet

    Aaron Scarberry - Bassoon

    PRODUCTION TEAM & CREW

    Conductor - Beck Thompson

    Director - Jeffrey Lentz

    Scenic Design - Cocol Bernal

    Costume Design - Lou Ressler

    Lighting Design - Brett Buckwalter

    Hair/Makeup Design - Laura Ordakowski

    Production Manager - Tamara Black

    Stage Manager - Lauren Farrell

    Assistant Stage Manager - Shannon Plasha

    Technical Director - Adam Kissinger

    Light Board Operator - Rylie Rice

    Sound Board Operator - Bee Gambino

    Props Runner - Bella Como

    Vocal Coach/Rehearsal Accompanist - Jimmy Damore

    Program Notes

    Welcome! We’re delighted you’ve joined us for Mozart’s The Magic Flute, brought to life through the collaborative efforts of Berks Opera Company, the Domino Players, and Albright College’s Theatre and Vocal Performance programs.


    For more than two centuries, Mozart and Schikaneder’s masterpiece has captivated audiences with its blend of fairy-tale wonder and philosophical insight. Beneath its magical creatures and radiant music lies a timeless message: love transforms, knowledge frees, and courage lights our way through darkness.


    In shaping this production for young audiences, we’ve focused on clarity and essence—highlighting the delicate balance between Light and Dark rather than a simple “good vs. evil” struggle. The metaphysical tension between sun and moon invites us to reflect on truth, trust, and what guides us.


    Cocol Bernal’s vivid scenic design and Lou Ressler’s imaginative costumes bring this world to life through color, shape, and symbolism. The circular “eyes” onstage may suggest flowers, suns, moons, or even the all-seeing eye of wisdom—encouraging us to look closer, stay curious, and see beyond appearances.


    Together with Mozart’s luminous score and our talented cast, these elements create a world where love, truth, and transformation shine bright. Enjoy the journey!


    -Jeffrey Lentz, Director


    Berks Opera thanks our 2025 partners:

    Albright College | Arthur Judson Foundation | Berks Arts (PCA) 

    Berks Community Television (BCTV) | Compass Dental | Fall Festival of the Arts | Feeney Historic Mansion | JCWK Dance Lab | Genesius Theatre | The Miller Center for the Arts | Pennsylvania Council on the Arts | The Presser Foundation | Reading Music Foundation | Sweet Street Desserts | Yocum Institute for Arts Education

    TICKETS

    Copyright © 2025 Berks Opera Company - All Rights Reserved.

    Berks Opera Company

    P.O. Box 251, Reading, Pennsylvania 19603

    www.berksopera.org 484-752-2462 berksoperacompany@gmail.com

    Berks Opera Workshop, dba Berks Opera Company, is a registered 501(c)3, non-profit, charitable organization, EIN 26-3688025. A copy of its official registration and financial

    information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, in Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.


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