Kathryn Lewek's reign as opera's foremost Queen of the Night continues with avengence. Playbill recently featured Katie after her 54th Met performance as everyone's favorite Mozart villian.
Having appeared as the Queen of the Night—the high-flying anti-heroine of Mozart’s The Magic Flute—more than 300 times around the globe, including a record 53 times at the Met, Lewek has staked her claim as the world’s leading interpreter of the role. This month, she returns to dazzle audiences in Julie Taymor’s abridged, English-language production of Mozart’s enchanting musical fable (now running through December 30). It is her 54th time in the role.
Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night ( Richard Termine / Metropolitan Opera )
OperaWire was also recently in attendance for the Metropolitan Opera's holiday presentation of Mozart's The Magic Flute and they could not help but rave about Lewek's peerless Queen of the Night.
...the opportunity to experience her performing live at the Met as Queen of the Night was honestly a moment in history that will forever resonate as one of the greatest Met highlights of all time.
Lewek’s voice was perfectly aligned with every note’s nuanced emotion and her presence was captivating. Her opening aria in Act one Scene one, “O zittre nicht…Zum leiden,” was dramatic but never arrogant, and this was a notable trait she carried throughout the night – she was the people’s diva!
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What translated most through Lewek was the Queen’s raw emotions, especially when singing her Act two Scene three aria, “Der Hölle Rache.” Lewek made this rage aria feel deeply personal, instead of like she was just putting on another show. Her facial expressions could have casted out demons! Her eyes glared with fire and her voice was otherworldly. She received a show-stopping applause that imprinted this moment as history being made. Lewek is the Queen of the Night!
