Ultra Man vs Mozart: Pop Culture Comes to Life in 'Magic Flute' at Tokyo Nikikai Opera

From The Daily Yomimiuri online:

"Anime characters clad in colorful costumes take to the stage and sing as Ultra monsters make a brief appearance. This is Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre's production of Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute), Mozart's last opera, scheduled to open next week for its third run in Tokyo. It was premiered in 2005 under film and stage director Akio Jissoji (1937-2006), one of the creators of the Ultra Series.

"'Jissoji was a devotee of Japanese pop culture--including manga and anime--and he wanted to combine the subculture and [Mozart's] music,' Reijiro Kato, a cartoonist who designed the costumes and stage props, said in an interview with The Daily Yomiuri."

The rest is here. The article is written by Hiroko Oikawa.