Creating scenery for Portland’s “The Magic Flute”

Originally published April 27, 2016 at 6:52 pmUpdated April 28, 2016 at 10:34 am

At Seattle Opera’s Scenic Studios in Renton part of Maurice Sendak’s scenery design for Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” is being painted and assembled for the Portland Opera’s production that is opening May 6. Seattle Opera has an expansive 22,000-square-foot facility with 40-foot-high ceilings. The original scenery for the production was destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Wilma, but now the sets are being rebuilt with grants from the Maurice Sendak Foundation, CARE Foundation and the Carol Franc Buck Foundation. Thirty four of the drops were made in New York and shipped directly to Portland. Portland Opera owns the sets. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times)

Beth Peterson works on ground cloths for Portland Opera’s “The Magic Flute.” The set designs by the late Maurice Sendak are being reconstructed at the Seattle Opera’s scene shop in Renton.

Every paint brush has its place in the Seattle Opera Scenic Studios in Renton, an expansive space with set-building capabilities. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times)

Jeff Ringer, front, and Steven LaRose map out what will become a parquet-floor pattern, part of the set for the late Maurice Sendak’s designs for Portland Opera’s production of “The Magic Flute.” The work is being done by Seattle Opera in its expansive facility in Renton. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times)

It’s not a real parquet floor but will have the look visually when the Seattle Opera scene shop is done with the sets for Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” by the Portland Opera. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times)

It’s pants of many colors for scenic artist Susannah Anderson with the Seattle Opera scene shop, where the designs for the Portland production of “The Magic Flute” are being assembled. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times)

Bruce Warshaw, left, and George Howard roll out a balloon created by Michael Hagen in New York. The Renton facility will make the structure to support it for the Portland Opera. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times)

This set model of scenic elements was made by the Seattle Opera scenic shop, based on renderings provided by Neil Peter Jampolis. It’s lit with LEDs. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times)

At Seattle Opera's Scenic Studios in Renton part of Maurice Sendak's scenery design for Mozart’s "The Magic Flute" is being painted and assembled for the Portland Opera's production that is opening May 6.

Alan Berner

Seattle Times staff photographer

Alan Berner

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