Through the mist, a ghostly ship appears, with a black mast and blazing red sails – it is The Flying Dutchman. Cursed to roam the seas for all eternity, The Dutchman’s only salvation is to find a faithful wife. Allowed to go ashore every seven years, The Dutchman searches for the one who might finally bring him peace.
His fortune may have changed when he meets the father of Senta, a beautiful girl whose only wish is to free the mythical Dutchman from his curse, at any cost.
Senta pledges herself to The Dutchman, but her jilted suitor Erik, and The Dutchman’s centuries of dashed hopes, force her to prove the depths of her love. This production of Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman gloriously expands the famous folklore into a harrowing romance for the ages.
Show Details
Language
Sung in German with English supertitles
Rating
PG-13
Cast
Greer Grimsley
Dutchman
Jay Hunter Morris
Erik
Anja Kampe
Senta
Mark S. Doss
Daland
Andrew Stenson
Steersman
Luretta Bybee
MaryCreative Team
Emmanuel Villaume
Conductor
Christopher Alden
Director
Allen Moyer
Set Designer
Anne Militello
Lighting Designer Allen Moyer
Costume Designer
Alexander Rom
Chorus Master
Dawn Rivard
Wig and Make-up DesignerSynopsis
SCENE I
On Daland’s ship
Daland, a sea-captain, drops anchor near his home harbour, and orders the Steersman to keep watch. The tired man falls asleep and fails to see the arrival of the Dutchman’s ship, which anchors beside Daland’s vessel. When Daland discovers the strange ship he calls to its captain, who identifies himself simply as “a Dutchman” and offers a rich reward for one night’s lodging. He then offers his fabulous treasure as a dowry for the hand of Daland’s daughter, and Daland eagerly agrees.
SCENE II
Daland’s daughter, Senta, stares at a portrait of the Flying Dutchman while the women around her sing as they work. Senta then sings a song about the Dutchman, a sea-captain condemned by Satan to sail for eternity. He is permitted to set foot on land only once every seven years, to search for salvation in a woman’s love. Mary, Senta’s companion, scolds Senta for her obsession with this legend, and tells her that when her father returns, she will ask him to remove from the house the picture of the Dutchman. Erik, Senta’s suitor, enters to say that he has seen her father’s ship sailing towards harbour. He presses her to ask her father to give him her hand. Senta, however, continues to speak of her fascination with the Flying Dutchman, and Erik tells her of a dream in which he saw her embrace a strange seaman. In despair, Erik leaves.
Daland then enters with his guest, and Senta is mesmerized by the Dutchman, whom she recognizes from the portrait. Daland explains that the stranger has asked for her hand in marriage and leaves the couple together. Senta agrees to marry the Dutchman.
SCENE III
By the Dutchman’s ship
After a party of celebrating sailors and their women are terrified by an encounter with the Dutchman’s ghostly crew, Erik and Senta enter. Erik is angry, as he has learned that Senta has accepted the hand of the Dutchman. As Erik reminds Senta of her promise to love him, the Dutchman enters and overhears the exchange. Convinced that Senta is unfaithful to him, the Dutchman tells her he is leaving and orders his crew to prepare to set sail. Proclaiming her eternal faithfulness to the Dutchman, Senta dies.