#MAGIC FLUTE AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA MOVIE#

Purists may quibble with the many cuts - which range from entire scenes to verses within arias - but the full German version is being staged at night for those who want the complete production. For Papageno's duet with Papagena, McClatchy rhymed 'lovey' with 'turtle-dovey.' His English version emphasizes rhyme, meter and fun over exact word-for-word translation. To adapt and pare down 'Die Zauberfloete,' the German-language original that runs slightly more than three hours including intermission, the Met hired poet J.D. The quality of picture and audio was high, although technical problems prevented the simulcast from being seen at theaters in Burbank, Calif., and Jacksonville, Fla. The Met said it was encouraged by sales, but final figures won't be available for several days. Given the breadth of the simulcast venture, there was no way to judge the success.

But for all its planning, the Met appeared to be somewhat unprepared for its shorter audience - it ran out of booster seats in the orchestra 20 minutes before the start. The debut of the cut-down version of Julie Taymor's colorful 2004 production was so popular it sold out.

#MAGIC FLUTE AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA MOVIE#

Saturday's performance was beamed from Lincoln Center in high-definition simulcast to about 100 movie theaters around the world. Starting Friday, the Metropolitan Opera began presenting an English-language performance of 'The Magic Flute,' trimmed to about 100 minutes, aimed at attracting families.

NEW YORK - Judging by the masses of smiling children who streamed out onto Lincoln Center Plaza after a family-friendly, shortened version of Mozart's 'Magic Flute,' opera may have just gotten an influx of younger fans.

Magic flute at the metropolitan opera