Amahl and the Night Visitors: A Lyric Opera Production
2022 Review
Opera. It is an art medium that often seems daunting or unapproachable for families and children, and yet, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City understands the importance, the gift, and the joy of sharing music with audiences of all ages with a strong desire to cultivate an interest in the arts in students and adults alike. With that in mind, they have created a truly marvelous holiday tradition with their annual production Amahl and the Night Visitors.
The opera composed by Gian Carlo Menotti in 1951 as a Hallmark Hall of Fame (note the KC connection) debut television production for NBC is perfectly suited as a family show. The Lyric teamed up with Paul Mesner Puppets to create an artistic holiday masterpiece loved by children and adults alike.
Amahl is about 50 minutes long with some productions (school shows and select shows) followed by a Q&A session with singers, puppeteers, and musicians. This week, my daughters and I attended a school show at the theater in the Crossroads. As we entered, we were immediately impressed by the spectacularly detailed sets. Producing a show that originated as a television production, the entire show is set inside a frame - reminiscent of a television screen - depicting the tiny home of Amahl and his mother.
Amahl is a crippled shepherd boy who lives with his widowed mother in a meager home where they barely scrape by, lacking food and resources and resorting to begging. Though poor, Amahl still boasts a big imagination and is prone to exaggeration. His mother does not want to encourage her son's storytelling, so when he reports to her one day that he found a giant star with a long tail above their house, she does not believe him.
Lo and behold, the story of the star was true and three magi follow it to Amahl's home. While there, he and his mother learn that the kings have treasures including gold, incense, and myrrh to bestow upon a newborn King - a king whose kingdom will be built on love.
The cast sings beautifully (in English, with screens providing transcripts as well) as Mother (played by Krista Renée Pape during our viewing) and Amahl (played by Delilah Rose Pellow during our viewing) struggle with sadness, temptation, love and inspiration. Mesner's puppeteers marvelously portray the characters with fluid movements that are seemingly human - especially when characters interact with the pet cat.
The staging of the show is fantastic with so much thought and detail in each aspect of the performance. The raised puppet stage hides the puppeteers from the audience's view creating the illusion that the puppets truly are singing the lines. The sound crew set up speakers to convey that the voices are truly coming from the puppets themselves, and the singers and orchestra marvelously perform the music with power and emotion telling the dramatic tale.
After our performance, members of the cast, orchestra, puppet team, and the show director participate in Q & A with school students. The students asked fascinating questions as they were all so engaged by the story and the mechanics of the production itself. The kids applauded and cheered, were intrigued by the puppets (especially the cat), and learned more about music. This is an outstanding educational field-trip for kids.
Amahl and the Night Visitors is the perfect production to introduce families to opera for the first time, or for a charming and memorable revisit. Kansas City families will be delighted to add this show to their own holiday traditions.
About the Show:
All performances of Amahl and the Night Visitors will be in The Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building. Each guest attending the show receives a shadow puppet kit to create their own puppets featuring all three kings! Buy tickets!
You may review this Pre-Opera Guide from the Lyric to learn more about the show.
712 E 18th Street Kansas City, Missouri 64108
- Friday, December 2, 2022 | 7:30 pm
- Saturday, December 3, 2022 | 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
- Sunday, December 4, 2022 | 2:00 pm
- Friday, December 9, 2022 | 7:30 pm
- Saturday, December 10, 2022 | 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
- Sunday, December 11, 2022 | 2:00 pm
Parental Notes:
I believe it is best for parents to determine when their children are ready for certain literary themes, so I will not recommend an age, but I will list a few things to consider when taking kids to the show:
- Amahl and the Night Visitors was written by Gian Carlo Menotti for television audiences in 1951. The story is set in Judea soon after the birth of Christ as the Magi prepare to visit the Christ child. Knowing this, there are aspects of dialogue that may be startling at times. For instance, in one scene Amahl's mother is tempted to steal gold from the Magi and is caught by their page. The song that follows shows Amahl's loyalty to his mother and a strong desire to protect her while threatening the page saying he wants to "break his bones" and "bash in his face." In another song, the mother corrects Amahl and references physical punishment for her son including spanking.
- The story uses puppets masterfully to portray the tale, and the work of the Mesner puppet team is truly impeccable. While we often think of puppet shows as targeting a younger audience, I believe this show is ideal for students K-12, especially those exploring theater, music, and literature. The production is elaborate and mature holding the attention of older students well as they are mesmerized by the work of the puppeteers and the story itself.