Photos: Behind the Scenes of Opera San Jose’s Magic Flute

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The entire chorus takes a selfie together before their penultimate performance of Opera San Jose’s Magic Flute performance at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (Maxwell Alexander/Mosaic)

Editor’s Note: This article was photographed for Mosaic, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.

Before the orchestra launches into Mozart’s overture, before the curtain rises and the first aria, the cast and staff of “The Magic Flute” rush around with last-minute preparation. All this flurry ensures that what audience members at San Jose’s California Theater behold is a smooth-running production.

But more goes on in the wings than even faithful opera lovers might think. As a Mosaic photographer looked on, from the stresses of stage managers to the packed schedule of make-up artists before the shows, Opera San Jose’s performance this fall had it all.

From costumes to staging to music, an opera production like “Flute” has a myriad of details to tend to. In the thick of rehearsals before the show opened, the performance seemed like an impossible job to pull off. Cast members rushing in and out of scenes, detailed instructions from production stage manager Jennifer Hsu — which included everything from scene directions to lighting directions, to orchestra directions — and the wings packed with performers made backstage appear chaotic to the casual observer.

But when the curtain rose, the opera stars smiled, calm prevailed on stage and the production ran smoothly. The flute was not the only magic in this performance.