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Notes from the Director
from Vancouver Opera Presents Amahl and the Night Visitors | House Programme | 2020–2021 Digital Season
SARAH JANE PELZER, Director
In 1951, Amahl and the Night Visitors became the first opera written expressly for television, but of course, this piece has had a long life as a holiday classic off-screen. In fact, Menotti wrote Amahl with the theatre in mind, despite its being first performed on camera. In his own words: “On television you're lucky if they ever repeat anything. Writing an opera is a big effort and to give it away for one performance is stupid.”
Still, the legacy of TV is strong in the opera. Television opera required small casts, expressive acting and a clearly articulated story. It’s this, as much as the music, that makes Amahl such a touching piece.
Now, the interesting challenge is gathering a group of stage professionals and tasking them with producing for the camera (in a pandemic no less). I’m very proud of how we’ve tackled these curveballs and allowed them to shape how we’ve told the story. A strong group of artists will not only thrive in adversity, but turn it to their advantage, and I’m grateful for the resilience shown by every member of the artistic team and producing staff.
The story we’re telling is one of adversity. We’re meeting a mother at the lowest point in her life and watching as the stress of poverty causes her to cling tightly to what she can control. It’s also the story of a boy who doesn’t let his reality hold him back from dreaming big, and whose seemingly frivolous optimism eventually helps them find a way through their despair (with the help of some surprise visitors).
Whether that story helps you find some light through this season, or the pleasure of seeing art is what’s lighting your way through, I know that creating it for you has been a powerful experience, and I’m glad you’re here.
Sarah Jane Pelzer is a Canadian stage director and co-artistic director of Lucky Penny Opera.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR
Meet Stage Director Sarah Jane Pelzer as she speaks about the universal themes within the story and the influences, inspiration, and people that make this production special.
