Amahl and the Night Visitors
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Set Design By: Steven C. Kemp AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS Welcome to Amahl and the Night Visitors! During this exceptional time, it has been a delight for us to bring you the gift of this wonderful holiday show. Created with love, we have brought together a variety of Kansas City’s talented artists to share this story of generosity and hope. It has been so heartwarming to see this production evolve, from the building of the scenery and puppets, to the addition of puppeteers, singers, and the orchestra. I know that it has meant a great deal to all involved to be in a safe space where creativity can flourish and all can practice their craft. The passion and joy of our performers, during this process, has been palpable. I wish you all a happy holiday and hope you enjoy this special show! Deborah Sandler, General Director and CEO BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2020-2021 OFFICERS Joanne Burns, President Tom Whittaker, Vice President Scott Blakesley, Secretary Craig L. Evans, Treasurer BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dr. Ivan Batlle Mira Mdivani Mark Benedict Edward P. Milbank Richard P. Bruening Steve Taylor Tom Butch Benjamin Mann, Counsel Melinda L. Estes, M.D. Karen Fenaroli Michael D. Fields Lafayette J. Ford, III Kenneth V. Hager Niles Jager Amy McAnarney EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Andrew Garton | Chair, Orpheus KC Mary Leonida | President, Lyric Opera Circle Gigi Rose | Ball Chair, Lyric Opera Circle Dianne Schemm | President, Lyric Opera Guild Presents Amahl and the Night Visitors Opera in one act by Gian Carlo Menotti in order of PRINCIPAL CAST vocal appearance MOTHER Kelly Morel^ AMAHL Holly Ladage KING KASPAR Michael Wu KING MELCHIOR Daniel Belcher KING BALTHAZAR Scott Conner THE PAGE Keith Klein ^Former Resident Artist First Performance: NBC Opera Theatre, New York City, December 24, 1951. Presented in English. Running time: approximately 48 minutes with no intermission. Parents and educators will be pleased to learn that supplementary educational materials for Amahl and the Night Visitors is available for free at kcopera.org. These materials contain activities for families and educators to do with young people. Season Sponsors: SPECIAL CREDITS By arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. publisher and copyright owner. Special Orchestral version created by Piotr Wiśniewski by permission of G. Schrimer, Inc. CREATIVE TEAM CONDUCTOR Piotr Wiśniewski STAGE DIRECTOR Shawna Lucey PUPPET DESIGNER/CREATOR Paul Mesner* SET DESIGNER Steven C. Kemp COSTUME DESIGNER Nancy Robinson LIGHTING DESIGNER Michael Clark CHORUS MASTER Piotr Wiśniewski TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Brad Kanouse HEAD PUPPET ARTISAN Grace Hudson* PUPPET ARTISANS Deborah Morgan, Regina Weller PROPS MASTER Shawnna Journagan ASSISTANT LIGHTING Mario Raymond DESIGNER TITLES OPERATOR Sarah Zsohar STAGE MANAGER Karl Anderson ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Alayna Powell HEAD SCENIC ARTIST Charles Moore SCENIC ARTISTS Kelli Harrod, Sally Farrand SCENIC CONSTRUCTION Stephen Cochran, CREW James Hare, Melvin McClenahan, Eli Yaffe PERFORMANCE CREW Joshua Topping, Artimio Wilson WARDROBE CREW Desiree Baird Story Musical Artists are members of AGMA Stage crew provided by IATSE Local 31 Wardrobe crew provided by The Theatrical Wardrobe Union Local 810 Special thanks to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts for assistance with lighting equipment and to the Kansas City Symphony for assistance with percussion and keyboard instruments. *Lyric Opera Debut ^Former Resident Artist ~Apprentice Artist PUPPETEERS Taylor Gass* Gillian Royster Dakota Hoar* Lynn Sheek Justin Howe* Lauren Bradshaw* James Kemper* Tim Cormack* Maggie Killian CHORUS Kristin Newbegin, Soprano Kelli Van Meter, Soprano~ Elaine Fox, Mezzo-Soprano@ Katarina Galagaza, Mezzo-Soprano*~ Thomas Drew, Tenor~ Kevin Smith, Tenor Robert H. Riordan, Baritone~ Nathan Whitson, Baritone ORCHESTRA VIOLIN I Keith Stanfield* VIOLIN II Erik Hassell* VIOLA Alyssa Bell CELLO Elizabeth Copeland* BASS Sam Copeland PIANO John Livingston^ FLUTE Lianna Bartlett* CLARINET Kaitlyn Gerde* BASSOON Ryan Morris* *Lyric Opera Debut ^Former Resident Artist ~Apprentice Artist @Former Apprentice Artist DIRECTOR’S NOTES By Shawna Lucey Amahl and the Night Visitors has been a be- loved holiday classic since its first spectac- ular performance on television in 1951. Menotti, inspired by a Hieronymous Bosch painting, drew on a favorite tale from his childhood in Italy about the Magi traveling to greet the new King, baby Jesus. Remembering this beloved childhood tale, Menotti was inspired to create an immediate classic and one that so beautifully captures the glory of Christmastime. The holiday season is a time we gather as families and friends to celebrate generosity, love and kindness. Menotti’s opera encompasses these feelings through the example of Amahl - reminding us of the power of children to show the best of humanity. Though creating opera is extremely complicated in the time of COVID-19, the restrictions led Lyric Opera of Kansas City to a fantastic solution - the puppetry of Paul Mesner. Using the power of puppetry to tell this classic tale of generosity and the miracles that come from giving, the music of Menotti will transport us once more. The year 2020 has tested humanity on an epic scale; according to the USDA, 41 million Americans, 13 million of which are children, face hunger now. May little Amahl’s offered sacrifice remind us all of the joy of giving and that miracles are still possible. SYNOPSIS Amahl, a young boy who walks with a crutch, lives with his mother in a small home near Bethlehem. Late one evening, there is a knock at their door. Amahl answers and is astonished to see three magnificently dressed kings. The kings tell Amahl and his Mother they are on a long journey to pay homage to a wondrous Child, and they would like to rest at their house. Although they do not have much to offer, the Mother agrees to let them stay. While she leaves to fetch firewood, Amahl seizes the opportunity to speak with the kings. King Balthazar answers Amahl’s questions about his life as a king, and King Kaspar shows Amahl his box of beads, licorice, and magic stones. When Amahl’s Mother returns, she scolds Amahl for being a nuisance. He is told to fetch the neighbors to help gather provisions for their visitors. Later that evening while the kings are resting, Amahl’s Mother succumbs to temptation and tries to steal some of the gold that was meant for the Christ Child. She is thwarted by the kings’ page. When Amahl wakes to find the page grabbing his mother, he attacks him. King Melchior has mercy on Amahl’s Mother, and says she may keep the gold as the Holy Child will not need earthly power or wealth to build His kingdom. Amahl’s Mother says she has waited all her life for such a king and returns the gold. She wishes to send a gift to the Child but has nothing to offer. Amahl, too, has nothing to give except his crutch. When he offers it to the kings, his leg is miraculously healed. With permission from his Mother, he leaves with the kings to see the Child and give his crutch in thanks for being healed. ABOUT THE ARTISTS HOLLY LADAGE | AMAHL (soprano) A Kansas City native, soprano Holly Ladage has performed all over the city. Recent performances with Lyric Opera include the chorus of La bohème, and she was scheduled to perform in The Shining (cancelled by Covid-19). Her awards include 1st place in Musical Theater NATS, 2nd place in Classical NATS, and the 2020 Millicent A. Daugherty Award. Holly is trained in voice, piano, harp, and ukulele, and has performed with Landlocked Opera in the chorus. She is a student of Music/ Arts institute in Independence, MO, where she studies voice with Christina Casey Ray. KELLY MOREL | THE MOTHER (mezzo-soprano) Originally from Los Angeles, California, mezzo-soprano Kelly Morel now makes her home in Kansas City, Missouri, where she completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree in 2017 at the University of Missouri- Kansas City and was a Resident Artist with Lyric Opera of Kansas City from 2018- 2019. Recent roles with Lyric Opera include Kate Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Alisa in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Last summer Ms. Morel joined the Aspen Music Festival & School to perform the roles of Désirée Armfeldt in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music and Marcellina in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. MICHAEL WU | KING KASPAR (tenor) Tenor Michael Wu recently graduated with his Master’s from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He performed Belfiore inLa finta giardiniera and was scheduled to perform Albert in Albert Herring (cancelled by COVID) with UMKC Opera program. Mr. Wu recently performed with Lyric Opera as a featured soloist for the Soundscapes in the City concert series, Opera in Eight Parts digital series, and has appeared in the chorus of The Pearl Fishers, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Lucia di Lammermoor. Other recent engagements include Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore at The Little Patuxent Opera Institute and singing for the Sonic Blossom performance-art exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. ABOUT THE ARTISTS DANIEL BELCHER | KING MELCHIOR (baritone) GRAMMY® Award-winning baritone Daniel Belcher has performed in many of the world’s music capitals, including Paris, London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Geneva, Madrid, Toronto, Montreal, Tokyo, Seoul and Houston. With a repertoire of more than 80 roles, Belcher has championed roles from the Baroque to those composed expressly for him. His roles with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City include Papageno in The Magic Flute, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Father Palmer in Silent Night, Chou En Lai in Nixon in China, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Dandini in La Cenerentola and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. SCOTT CONNER | KING BALTHAZAR (bass) Bass Scott Conner has received international acclaim for a wide range of repertoire, including Mozart, Rossini, Handel, Donizetti and Verdi.