The central character is the refugee, a role inspired by Mehran Karimi Nasseri, who lived in Charles de Gaulle Airport for many years and who inspired “The Terminal” movie.įilming took place in the museum’s six-story Great Gallery, which contains about 40 full-size historic aircraft, and in several other exhibit areas. In the production, “an omniscient air traffic controller watches over a departure lounge bustling with relentlessly cheerful flight attendants, an excitable couple on vacation, a mysterious older woman, and a diplomat and his expectant wife, all of whom must spend the night to wait out a storm,” Seattle Opera explains. But thanks to some creative thinking, the two organizations realized the closures created an opportunity to bring the opera cast and crew to the museum and film Flight there so it can be streamed to audiences at home. And, until a few weeks ago, Seattle’s Museum of Flight was closed to visitors. The work premiered in 1998 and has been performed around the world.ĭue to the pandemic, Seattle Opera’s performance space is off limits to live audiences. The highly acclaimed opera, by composer Jonathan Dove and librettist April De Angelis, was inspired by the true-life story of an Iranian refugee who lived at Charles de Gaulle Airport for 18 years and features a cast of characters who are temporarily stuck at the airport as well.

This season the Seattle Opera was scheduled to present the three-act opera, Flight, on stage. In Seattle, that has created a unique streaming treat for both AvGeeks and fans of opera.

The pandemic has forced arts and cultural groups around the world to find creative ways to bring their work to local and national audiences.

Seattle opera flight