`The Magic Flute’ evidence of divine inspiration of Mozart

Classical music radio announcer Jim Sveda tells a story about filling out an application for a summer job. When asked to list his religion, he checked “other” and in the blank space wrote “Mozart.” It was a measure of the sacred company he felt the composer keeps.

Anyone who wasn’t already convinced of Mozart’s divine inspiration would have been converted by the London City Opera’s performance Thursday of “The Magic Flute” at the Maine Center for the Arts.

Directed by Mark Hathaway, this lively production was about as friendly and delightful as an opera of this monumental stature gets. It was performed in English and also provided digital supertitles above both orchestra and balcony sections. Even if something was sacrificed by forsaking the native tongue of the piece, there was no missing the magical love stories of Tamino, Pamina, Papageno and Papagena.

The singers went a long way in offering both solid musicianship and witty entertainment. What they occasionally lacked in crispness, they made up for in stagecraft.

While all of the performers were up for the tasks of both singing and acting, two stood out as favorites among audience members. Eugene Ginty sang every syllable of the Tamino role with clarity and grace. He was the most lyrical singer in the cast. His sidekick, Mark Evans, as Papageno, had a lightness and humor that was wholly charming. As with the rest of the troupe, Ginty and Evans were never overblown, which is always a temptation when performing this fantastical story.

Jacquelyn Parker’s Queen of the Night was technically agile — especially the famed solo of Act II. She was somewhat overpowered, however, by the onstage chamber orchestra, conducted by Martin Handley. While the presence of the musicians never stole any spark from the performers physically and, indeed, added a pleasant intimacy to the production, it sometimes swallowed the voices in volume.

Without sacrificing musical excellence, the London City Opera production took every opportunity to make “The Magic Flute” even more fun than it already is as a score. This is a small, young company that efficiently and attractively presents opera. This version was a little bit “Lion King,” a little bit “The King and I,” and it even slipped toward a smidge of Gilbert and Sullivan. But mostly, it was bright, witty and fresh.