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The
BYU-Idaho Theatre and Music Departments will present the Christmas opera
“Amahl and the Night Visitors” Tuesday
through Saturday, Dec. 9-13, in the Snow Drama Theatre with performances
beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets
may be purchased at the BYU-Idaho Ticket Office, by calling 496-2230 or at
www.byui.edu/tickets. Seats are $6 for the public and $1 for current
BYU-Idaho students.
“The
music is brilliant, it’s difficult, it’s artistically valid, as
well as carrying a very powerful message of truth,” says director
Roger Merrill. “It’s not very often you can go to a cultural
event and get a spiritual message this strong. It’s just a wonderful
Christmas story.”
Originally
commissioned as an NBC television presentation in 1951, the hour-long opera
takes place on Christmas Eve and tells the story of Amahl,
a poor crippled shepherd boy, and his devoted mother.
Amahl, played by Melissa Fife of Blackfoot, and his
destitute mother, played by Danicia Christensen
of El Paso, Texas,
are visited by the three wise men who are on their
way to worship and give gifts to the Christ child.
During
their visit, the imaginative and curious boy questions the wise men and
learns the true meaning of the Savior’s message.
“It’s
a great touching story that has so many spiritual undertones,” Fife
says. “I love how it portrays the idea of giving up everything you
have for the Lord, and when you do give that up, the Lord will heal you,
bless you and take care of you.”
The
cast for the opera, including the chorus, is made up of members of
Collegiate Singers, a BYU-Idaho choral group, says Marci MacKay, vocal
coach for the production.
Merrill
says “Amahl and the Night Visitors”
is one of the most produced operas in the United
States because of its accessibility,
even to those who haven’t had very much experience with opera.
“It’s
short, it’s in English and carries a
familiar theme. It’s an easy story to understand and a great
immersion as a first time experience for opera,” he says.
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