For Kevin Sullivan, one of the most important aspects of bringing opera to the big screen in Mozart’s Magic Flute Diaries was showcasing the wonderful baroque costumes of Mozart’s era. He wanted to create a “spectacle of live performance”. And this meant only the most vibrant and imaginative costumes could be used.
At the helm of this particular vision was Joyce Schure, a veteran costume designer whose work can be found in both the film and television industry. She was nominated for a Gemini Award for the short action film
Battle of the Bulge in 1992. And her work on
Shake Hands with the Devil – the film adaptation of General Romeo Dallaire’s autobiography – earned her a Gemini Award nomination in 2008. She designed the costumes for
Cavedweller, starring Kevin Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, and
Spinning Boris, starring Jeff Goldblum - to name just a few of her varied credits.
But Schure wasn’t working alone. Her vision was aided by the production’s collaboration with the Opera Atelier – a renowned opera company that provided authentic costumes, backdrops and large set pieces for the film.
Here’s a look at some of the fantastic “costume highlights” of Mozart’s Magic Flute Diaries.