Thursday, December 05, 2019

Amahl and the Night Visitors

Amahl and the Night Visitors
is an opera in one act by Gian Carlo Menotti with an original English libretto by the composer. It was commissioned by NBC and first performed by the NBC Opera Theatre on December 24, 1951, in New York City at NBC studio 8H in Rockefeller Center, where it was broadcast live on television from that venue as the debut production of the Hallmark Hall of Fame. It was the first opera specifically composed for television in America.
It begins:
Amahl, a disabled boy who can walk only with a crutch, has a problem with telling tall tales. He is sitting outside playing his shepherd's pipe when his mother calls for him ("Amahl! Amahl!"). After much persuasion, he enters the house but his mother does not believe him when he tells her there is an amazing star "as big as a window" outside over their roof ("O Mother You Should Go Out and See"; "Stop Bothering Me!").

Later that night, Amahl's mother weeps, praying that Amahl not become a beggar ("Don't Cry Mother Dear"). After bedtime ("From Far Away We Come"), there is a knock at the door and the mother tells Amahl to go see who it is ("Amahl ... Yes Mother!"). He is amazed when he sees three splendidly dressed kings (the Magi). At first the mother does not believe Amahl, but when she goes to the door to see for herself, she is stunned.

12 comments:

  1. ...a classic that I remember from my childhood.

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    1. The first time I ever even heard of this I was an adult and had a friend whose church was performing it. I was surprised it wasn't an annual TV event.

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  2. I think I've heard of this, but haven't seen it.

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  3. Sounds fascinating, I have added it to my list. Thanks, Valerie

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  4. Wow, never heard of this, but it is nice to know where Hallmark Hall of Fame first originated. This is a real teaser, too. I will try to watch it when I catch up a bit.

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  5. Sounds interesting! Thanks for the recommendation 😁. Hugs, Jo x

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    1. It's well worth the hour it takes to watch :)

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  6. This story sounds vaguely familiar. I think I might've seen a version of this story at one point in time, and liked it.

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    1. Churches and community theaters and choirs used to put this on sometimes, although I haven't seen any signs of that here in years.

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