Chagall: fantasies for the stage at LACMA

This exhibition at LACMA concentrates on four stage productions: Aleko (1942), The Firebird (1945), Daphnis and Chloe (1958), The Magic Flute (1967) with the original costumes (some of which never exhibited before) as well as his costume and set design drawings. 

Several stages showing the costumes on mannequins accompanied with music as well as original footage of the shows make the exhibition space very lively.

You can tell Chagall is having fun, the drawings are full of movement, color and gesture.

And you can tell Chagall liked what he was doing, using all kinds of media including collage with fabric to bring life to his sketches.

There is a lightness in everything, a wonderful exploration of any possibility; he is not taking himself seriously.

It made me want to go back and listen to the Magic Flute right away, dreaming of Papagena with her costume covered in colorful feathers.