Imagine that en
route to your Christmas destination in a car filled with gifts, you stop
for the night and the innkeeper attempts to steal from you.
How easily could you forgive?
That dilemma confronts the Three Kings in
Gian Carlo Menotti's made-for-TV opera "Amahl and the Night Visitors,"
being performed at the Indian Hill Music School this weekend.
"It is a simple story, beautifully written
and composed with enough action and humor to appeal to children and
enough depth to make adults cry," said Mary Crowe, director of the
opera.
"I chose 'Amahl' because it is a
delightful, family opera that deals with redemption, hope and love--the
issues Christmas is supposed to be about," she added.
This second production by the Indian
Hill's Opera Workshop follows last year's "The Old Maid and the Thief,"
a radio opera also written by Menotti.
The Opera Workshop grew out of Crowe's
"Acting for Singers" class at Indian Hill, where she is director of
vocal education.
"I've loved working with this group of
talented, dedicated singers. They bring a wonderful energy to the show,"
said Crowe.
The genesis for "Amahl and the Night
Visitors" occurred in 1951 when the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
commissioned the Italian-born Menotti to write an opera for
television.
With Christmas as a deadline, Menotti
described his dilemma - in the notes of the original cast recording, "I
simply didn't have one idea in my head. One November afternoon as I was
walking rather gloomily through the Metropolitan Museum, I chanced to
stop in front of the "Adoration of the Kings" by Hieronymous Bosch, and
as I was looking at it, suddenly I heard again, coming from the distant
blue hills, the weird song of the Three Kings. I then realized they had
come back to me and had brought me a gift."
In "Amahl," Menotti creates an imaginary
stopping point for the Three Kings on their journey to Bethlehem. As
they stay the night with the impoverished and crippled boy, Amahl, his
mother attempts to steal some of the gold intended for the Christ
child.
When caught, she argues that surely this
newborn child would not need all of this gold when she and her son are
so desperately poor. The kings quickly forgive her. When Amahl offers
his own most important possession to the Christ child, he experiences a
miracle.
Possibly the most-performed opera in
existence, "Amahl and the Night Visitors" owes its success to "its
universal themes and beautiful music," said Julia Randel of Littleton.
She is a Harvard lecturer and 20th century music scholar.
"The story of this poor mother who can't
feed her child, and the boy who gives a gift even though he has nothing
moves me every time. Menotti's score and libretto work so well both
dramatically and musically," Randel said. "The vocal parts sound natural
and speech-like, yet also melodious."
Performing as Amahl will be Chloe Thompson
of Lunenburg, a high school senior who has studied with Mary Crowe for
four years.
Singing the role of Amahl's mother is
Littleton resident Nancy Laws, who is amazed at how quickly the
production has come together. "We've been rehearsing just on Thursday
evenings and Saturday afternoons since mid-September," Laws said.
A longtime resident and seventh-grade
English teacher at Wynn Middle School in Tewksbury, Laws is a cantor at
St. Anne's Catholic Church in Littleton. In February, she will perform
the role of Dr. Charlotte in Acton's Theater III production of
"Falsettos."
This weekend, in lieu of a pit orchestra,
Westford resident Debra LeBrun will be accompanying the performance on
piano from behind a scrim backstage. LeBrun is also organist and music
director at the Congregational Church of Littleton.
The three kings are Marco Bonito of
Mendon, David Grubbs of Groton, and Jesse Heines of North Chelmsford.
Rudy Borkowski of Brookline, NH will sing the role of the Page.
Acton's Commonwealth Ballet Company are
providing dancers while members of Indian Hill Music School's
Intergenerational Chorus will sing under the direction of Indian Hill
faculty member Susan Bonito. Costumes and props are by Indian Hill voice
student Susan Julian Gates of Chelmsford.
Performances are Friday and Saturday night
at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.Tickets are $10 for adults, and $7 for
children. Call 978-486-0540 or visit www.indianhillmusic.org for more
information.
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