Pick-up Truck Opera, a look back in the rearview mirror

Queen of the Night Aria

On August 12 and 13, crowds of over 50 people in Hovland and 100+ in Grand Marais were treated to performances of Mixed Precipitation Pickup Truck Opera’s (PTO’s) delightful retelling of Mozart’s 1791 opera The Magic Flute. Planned and hosted by the North Shore Music Association (NSMA) and funded in part by the Opp-Hvidston Foundation, these two stops were part of PTO’s 2022 summer tour, with help from a MN State Arts Board Arts Tour grant.

The multi-talented troupe launched Mozart’s masterwork into outer space—with a group of young explorers navigating the cosmos, as rival forces led by the Queen of the Night and Sarastro, the Wizard of the Sun, attempted to control their destiny. The futuristic take on the opera playfully combined Mozart’s fiery arias and epic choruses with the groovy beats of the 90s discotheque, including hits by Deee-lite, Pizzicato Five, and Icelandic pop star Björk.

This summer’s Magic Flute performances are part of Mixed Precipitation’s 14-year tradition of outdoor theater extravaganzas. Presenting their events at community gardens, urban farms, parks, orchards, and vineyards throughout Minnesota, the group fulfills their mission to create festive theatrical events that inspire social engagement.

Singers

Scotty Reynolds, Producing Artistic Director of Mixed Precipitation, shared their history: “Mixed Precipitation, and our outdoor opera performances, grew out of a house where I was living in South Minneapolis. We operated cooperatively as an intentional community, maintaining the house and a large wilderness property in western Wisconsin. Among my housemates were many makers, crafts people, organizers, and activists. In 2009, our first opera production was called ‘a picnic operetta.’ With my creative partner, Chef Nick Schneider, our goal was to use opera to celebrate harvest and connect with the land. Fourteen years later, we’ve evolved, and our geographic reach has expanded to many parts of Minnesota.”

 

Reflecting on their performances in Hovland and Grand Marais in August, Scotty said, “We had so many memorable experiences as a team while up on the North Shore. Most of us attended our first Pow Wow in Grand Portage.

“Performing among the forest trees in Hovland (with many mosquitoes and dragonflies also attending), the eager youth on the lawn of the library, and the pristine Marina outside the Folk School helped us greet a variety of audiences. We enjoyed meeting folks and hearing their ideas for arts experiences that intersect with nature and feed off the special magic of the world around Grand Marais and the North Shore.

“It was great to be in a community so far from home but with so many intersections with our community in Minneapolis. It was special to have so many connections in Grand Marais via the Folk School. So many in our community house have been interns and resident artists at North House. It was great to have them at the show, and around town.

“We’re so grateful to the North Shore Music Association, and to Roger and Margaret Opp of the Opp-Hvidston Foundation, for welcoming us and providing a great place for us to work and experience a unique corner of Minnesota.”

NSMA Board Secretary and event volunteer Tracey Cullen shared her experience of PTO’s performance in Grand Marais: “The performers included musicians and actors, with some of the actors doubling as puppeteers. The singing was fabulous, and the adaptation of Mozart’s original opera, updated with a more current ‘school board’ story, was clever. It was a fun mix of contemporary music with Mozart’s score, and not overdone (which was a relief for the purists in the crowd). The slapstick comedy was good-natured. The colorful costumes looked striking against the blues of Lake Superior and the sky. The atmosphere of the performance was joyous, reminding me of the Summer Solstice Pageant performances at North House. The singers clambered all around, in and out of the pickup truck, and up a scaffolded arch above the orchestra, to sing perched above the crowd. My favorite part of the performance was the Queen of the Night’s big coloratura aria. It was a beautiful evening, and the group told us it was the most beautiful place they had ever performed.”

NSMA and the Opp-Hvidston Foundation plan to bring PTO back next summer for more Northwoods performances of fun, dynamic opera that’s great entertainment for all ages. So, stay tuned!