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Piedmont and HCHS to present Christmas opera 'Amahl and the Night Visitors' (11-17-05) Students in the Piedmont College Opera Workshop and the Habersham Central High School Singers will perform one of the favorite American operas, "Amahl and the Night Visitors," by Gian Carlo Menotti Dec. 5 in Demorest. The 7:30 p.m. production will be held in the Center for Worship and Music on the Piedmont campus. Admission is $5 for adults and free for students. "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, Saul Olvera-Rubio as Belthazar, Jeremy Bishop as Melchior, Micah Dingler as Kaspar, and Daniel Burns as the page. Accompanists are Piedmont music professors Phillip and Joy Hayner. Associate producers are Kallen Williams, and Evan Poole. The Habersham Central High School Singers, directed by Bobby Ivey, include P.J. Mitchell, Kristy Simmons, Cassie Shaver, Amanda Murphy, Jenna Parrish, Amber Dodd, Josh Moore, Krystian Whitfield, Cathy Rice, Hope Sosebee, John Burke, Joshua Ramirez, Dana Emig, Colleen MimsKatie Cashion, Josette Gilbert, Leah Holcomb, Ashley Dockery, Rhiannon Edwards, Krista McGugan, Amber Watson, and Collier Hatchett. -30- |
