Creating magic on New York stage
Art director and costume designer Tim Yip help bring alive the Metropolitan Opera’s new Wagner show
When the curtain rose on the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Lohengrin on Feb 26, the New York audience got a taste of the Oscar-winning art director and costume designer Tim Yip’s vision of Richard Wagner’s romantic opera, which premiered in 1850 and was one of the highlights of the composer’s career.
Yip, who is best known for his work in films and dance productions, won an Oscar for art direction for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2001 and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for best costume design for the same movie, becoming the first Chinese person to receive these accolades.
It is the first time that Yip has joined an opera production of the Metropolitan Opera, designing costumes and sets for the acclaimed show.
“This is an exciting chance for me to work with the Metropolitan Opera. I have been working in New York for six months and watched lots of productions by the Metropolitan Opera, observing and learning,” Yip said a week before the premiere of Lohengrin, which runs through April 1.
“Many of my friends have worked with the Metropolitan Opera, and this is my opportunity to work with such a large team and bring the director’s idea alive onstage,” he said.
This 10-performance run is director Francois Girard’s third Wagner opera at the Metropolitan Opera, following Parsifal in 2013 and Der Fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman) in 2020.
Wagner’s Lohengrin is rooted in folklore and Germanic legend. It is about a mysterious knight rescuing a woman who is accused of murdering her missing brother. The woman, Elsa, daughter of the deceased Duke of Brabant, falls in love with the knight. The knight pledges his sword and heart to Elsa on one condition that she never asks him his name. But as she breaks the vow, the knight reveals his identity and leaves, and Elsa dies of a broken heart.
Yip spent months studying the story and music of Wagner’s Lohengrin, trying to understand the composer’s philosophy of this opera. He has watched different versions of Lohengrin by the Metropolitan Opera since the 1970s — it is the Metropolitan Opera’s most-performed Wagner opera.
“Every design decision was made to go with Wagner’s music, prioritizing the music,” Yip said. “Like music, the colors of the costumes, the lights, shadows, choreography and the use of space, all of that onstage is rhythmic and perfectly matched.”
Yip used his color palette to build a conversation with Wagner: white for Lohengrin and Elsa, dark green for King Heinrich and a deep red for Telramund and Ortrud. The set is both abstract and a narrative. In the lavish production, a moon appeared repeatedly through a round opening hole above the stage, promoting the atmosphere.
“During the premiere, I usually sit among the audience. I want to enjoy the production like any other viewer. But I would like to pick a seat which allows me to leave easily. There are some critical reviews, which are ‘scary’,” said Yip, laughing.
Born in Hong Kong, Yip has created sets and costumes for many movies by world-renowned directors such as John Woo, Ang Lee and Feng Xiaogang. He also worked with top theaters, such as Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London and the San Francisco Opera in the United States. Since 2002, Yip has held exhibitions, showcasing his artistic works worldwide. He also designed Team China’s podium uniform for the Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 2021.
“I flew to Beijing to meet Tim and discovered his world that extends far beyond sets and costumes. I was immediately inspired by his world and the inspiration continues. Tim and I have been sharing projects since then,” said director Girard.
“My favorite part (about Yip’s work on Lohengrin) is that there is no part. Everything merges in everything else. The show is one big thing and Tim is concerned with every aspect of it. Wherever I look, I find Tim’s magical touch. He is truly an amazing artist.”
Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, said, “I’ve known and admired Tim Yip’s design work for many years, going back to his great success with the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which I worked on the soundtrack when I was the head of the Sony Classical record label. He has the fantasy and imagination that is a perfect match for Wagner’s and stage director Francois Girard’s vision.
“His designs are pure genius, both with the evocative sets of a postapocalyptic world and the extraordinary costumes that change color in full view of the audience.”
Opera is not new to Yip. In 2016, he reimagined the visual world of Dream of the Red Chamber when San Francisco Opera premiered its opera based on Qing Dynasty (16441911) writer Cao Xueqin’s classic novel. The adaptation was brought to life by composer Bright Sheng, librettist David Henry Hwang and director Stan Lai.
Yip used vibrant colors to design costumes for the characters, including green robes for men and multilayered golden gowns for women to show his understanding of the beauty of Chinese art and style.
After Lohengrin, Yip said he will visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art for an exhibition titled Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes, running from March 4 to May 21, and which presents about 150 of the museum’s ancient Chinese bronze items.
Yip said he will work with Liu Yang, curator of Chinese art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, to create a novel presentation of the museum’s ancient Chinese bronze collection.
With Yip’s immersive backdrop design, the sound, projections and light displays at the show are expected to evoke the culture and traditions of the era when the objects were used.
“With this exhibition, I want to create a new multidimensional perspective for looking at bronzes,” said Yip, adding that it will allow visitors to rediscover ancient bronze items and their beauty and mystery.