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Piedmont and HCHS to present 'Amahl and the Night Visitors'

(Photos)

Right: Singers in the Piedmont College production of ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ include, from left, the three kings John Paul Jordan, Jeremy Bishop, and Patrick Anderson; Jennifer Babel as Amahl; Patrick Hawkins as the page, and Donna Bunn James as the mother.

Students in the Piedmont College Opera Workshop and the Habersham Central High School Singers will bring back one of the favorite American operas, "Amahl and the Night Visitors," by Gian Carlo Menotti with two performances Jan. 11-12 in Demorest.

The 7:30 p.m. production with orchestra accompaniment will be held in the new Swanson Center for Performing Arts and Communications on the Piedmont campus. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. Piedmont faculty, staff and students are admitted free.

"Amahl and the Night Visitors" was the first opera written for television and premiered on NBC on Christmas Eve of 1951. It is still one of the most performed operas to this day. The opera tells the Christmas story of Amahl, a crippled shepherd boy, who lives in poverty with his mother. Amahl is a rambunctious youth given to daydreams and stretching the truth. One night while playing his flute, he notices a large star with a very long tail and tries to convince his unbelieving and tired mother that such an amazing star actually exists. Later that night a knock is heard on the door. To the amazement of both the boy and his mother, the visitors are three kings looking for a place to rest.

While the three kings are sleeping, Amahl’s mother attempts to steal some of their gold to provide a better life for her son. The kings take pity on her, saying that the newborn king they were seeking will have no need of the gold. After hearing of the greatness of the new baby king, Amahl offers his crutch to the kings as a gift for the baby. When Amahl performs this act of kindness, he is healed and accompanies the kings to deliver his present to the baby Jesus.

Directed by Tommy Jameson, the Piedmont production includes Jennifer Babel as Amahl, Donna James as the mother, John Paul Jordan as Belthazar, Jeremy Bishop as Melchior, Patrick Anderson as Kaspar, and Patrick Hawkins as the page. The orchestra director is Dr. Wallace Hinson and piano accompanist is Dr. Phillip Hayner. Bobby Ivey directs the Habersham Central High School Singers.

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