NOTES FROM THE OPERA STAGE DIRECTORS

Amahl and the Night Visitors has been a beloved holiday classic since its first live performance on NBC television in 1951. Menotti, under commission, found himself lacking inspiration. He wrote: “One November afternoon as I was walking rather gloomily through the rooms of the Metropolitan Museum (NYC), I chanced to stop in front of the Adoration of the Kings by Hieronymus 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…..This is an opera for children because it tries to recapture my own childhood. You see, when I was a child I lived in Italy, and in Italy we have no Santa Claus. I suppose that Santa Claus is much too busy with American children to be able to handle Italian children as well! Our gifts were brought to us by the Three Kings, instead.” As the director, I hope to illuminate Menotti’s fable through the eyes of Amahl, a child. Amahl sees beauty differently and he knows only pure love. His malady brings him no shame, and, seemingly does not even pain him. In fact, he eventually sees his crutch as an opportunity to say “thank you”. It is his story to tell and ours to enjoy and learn from.

Dr. Robert Breault

Stage Director, Amahl and the Night Visitors

Michael Leavitt and Anthony Buck’s opera, A Christmas Carol, is well on its way to becoming a holiday favorite. U Opera, its students, and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to share this wonderful piece with you this year. From the moment I first heard it, it became one of my all- time favorites. The opera A Christmas Carol is a piece that is deeply rooted in the original 1843 work by Charles Dickens. Anthony Buck masterfully weaves Dickens’ original text and themes with those of his own creation to create a rich libretto filled with familiar characters that never cease to warm the heart and remind us of the original story and its many wonderful interpretations. Built on the strength of Buck’s narrative foundation, Michael Leavitt has managed to capture in his beautiful music the immense wonder of the season. Through moments of rhythmic complexity, harmonic adventure, and haunting simplicity, Leavitt has composed a score that you will remember throughout the holiday and for years to come. As director, I believe that it is my job to bring Dickens’ iconic characters and Leavitt’s rich music to life. For me, A Christmas Carol is not merely a 19th century ghost story, but a cautionary tale that seeks to remind us that we are each an important part of the incredibly diverse tapestry that is our community. As Scrooge promises, “I will live with Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.” I hope that our production will help each of you keep the meaning of Christmas in your heart all year long! Now, I invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy our new holiday classic, Leavitt and Buck’s A Christmas Carol.

James Bobick

Stage Director, A Christmas Carol