Cheap Seats The Flying Dutchman isn't the only one who's obsessed

Welcome to Cheap Seats, where every Thursday we’ll talk to folks behind the scenes of the stage events opening around town, in order to give you a flavor of the productions that won’t be found in any of the promo materials.

The Flying Dutchman, Madison Opera, April 9-11

Promo pull-quote: "Richard Wagner composed The Flying Dutchman early in his career in 1843. Inspired by his own experience at sea, Wagner’s opera recounts the legend of the Dutch captain cursed to sail eternally unless redeemed by true love."

What it’s really about: In a word, obsession. Everything in the play revolves around a sea-captain's daughter named Senta, and her desire to free the famed Dutchman from the Satanic curse that’s left him sailing the high seas for seven years at a pop. “When we first see Senta, she’s holding a book with the story of The Flying Dutchman,” director Michael Scarola tells The A.V. Club. “And there’s a picture of him on the wall of her house. It’s her obsession and faithfulness of saving him that spurs the entire story.”

Fun fact: The obsessions that drive the characters in the story aren’t only reserved for the fictional realms. Scarola himself has an enthusiasm for Wagner’s operas that borders on compulsion. “My mom was an opera singer, so I literally grew up with opera in my house,” Scarola says. “So for better or worse I discovered Wagner as an 8-year-old. And The Flying Dutchman is a piece I’ve known since I was 11 or 12—so I’ve been thinking about it now for about 40 years," he laughs.

Best reason to try it: Wagner’s name can inspire fear in the hearts of even the most hearty opera-goers—this as a result of tales of six-hour shows and overly challenging themes and music. Thankfully, The Flying Dutchman is Wagner at his most accommodating. “The Flying Dutchman is a two-and-a-half hour evening,” says Scarola. “It’s much more like the operas of Verdi in that it’s very melodic. It’s a great first Wagner because it’s incredibly accessible and not at all scary—except in terms of the story. I’m a big horror film fan, and you’re definitely going to see aspects of that reflected in the production.”