Nix and Virginia Lauridsen have donated $2 million to the Des Moines Metro Opera to support a groundbreaking production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, the opera announced today. The production will kick off the organization’s 50th anniversary season in 2022 at the Civic Center. There will be two public performances on March 5-6, 2022 and a free matinee for school children on March 7, 2022. It will feature fantastical hand-drawn animation synchronized with live performance to set a surreal stage upon which quirky characters, all cleverly based on familiar silent-movie personalities, explore love, truth and the pursuit of enlightenment. The Lauridsens’ $2 million gift comes as the opera resumes live performances in July following the success of its 2020 Virtual Festival and prepares for its 50th Anniversary in 2022. Virginia Lauridsen is the current president of the opera’s Board of Directors and serves on the Board of Overseers of the National Opera Center in New York City. “Nix and I strive to support causes that will benefit the entire community,” she said. “We believe that Des Moines Metro Opera is an artistic gem. As an internationally acclaimed company, DMMO attracts visitors from around the world and brings a high level of artistic achievement and acclaim to Iowa.”