Some of us possess a scrap-bag of random melodies in our minds, clinging from childhood probably, that we idly hum, whistle or mumble while doing chores, exercising or the like, whether the song titles and their origins are remembered or not. Among mine is a rhythmic chorus calling out names: “Emily, Emily, Michael, Bartholomew, how are your children? And how are your sheep?” I had forgotten, until hearing the cheerful tune again the other night that the song is smack in the middle of Amahl and the Night Visitors. Likely I had watched a few of those annual holiday telecasts in the early 1960s of Gian Carlo Menotti’s celebrated chamber opera, and somehow that musical fragment stuck with me.
Opening Thursday in a new production by Lincoln Center Theater in association with The Metropolitan Opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors is performed in the relatively cozy 299-seat environs of the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. The space is used well by director Kenny Leon and his designers to foster a sense of intimacy around this 1951 musical drama originally crafted for television audiences and meant to be enjoyed especially by youngsters.
Menotti’s 45-minute opera is inspired by the Biblical story of the three kings on their journey to Bethlehem. They and their steward unexpectedly stay overnight in the cottage of a poor widow and her young son Amahl, a shepherd. Fetched to meet the royals, the neighbors – Emily, Emily, Michael, Bartholomew and friends – arrive with food and drink and soon everybody is dancing. Later on, Amahl’s humble gift for the child whom the kings seek triggers a miracle that changes the boy’s life. It is a rather somber tale that packs a quietly radiant conclusion. Ever moving the story forward, Menotti’s often rhythmic sung-through score is simple and direct, flecked with pleasant melodies.
[Read Steven Suskin’s ★★★★☆ review here.]
For this production, the score is performed in a vintage Paul Aron arrangement upon two concert grand pianos visible at the rear of the setting, while an oboe player, Jesse Barrett, appears at times in the aisles or among the characters. The space’s thrust stage is mostly occupied by the greyish plank floor of an otherwise skeletal cottage setting designed by Derek McLane. It is backed by a vast expanse of starry skies at the rear that likely people seated at the extreme sides of the auditorium won’t be able to see. The dappled, color-suffused lighting provided by Adam Honoré helps to make the show’s moods and final miracle manifest.
Strategically staged by Leon to bring the action closer to the audience, the three kings initially materialize amid the aisles and march down to the stage to await their surprisingly comical entrance into Amahl’s life. The kings are theatrically arrayed by costume designer Emilio Sosa in Biblical-style robes over modern executive attire. In spite of contemporary footwear, the blousy clothes rendered mostly in earthy shades seen on Amahl’s Mother and the neighbors recall Eastern Europe villagers of the early 1900s. The eclectic mix of clothing makes the world of this show more visually accessible than those BC Zero times of sandals and tunics.
Of course, that green hoodie, knit woolen cap and dreadlocks sported by the spunky Amahl as appealingly played by Albert Rhodes, Jr. might as well be worn by an Upper West Side kid of today. Joyce DiDonato skillfully applies her warm, vibrant voice to soften the usually anxious nature of Amahl’s Mother. The kings are charmingly depicted by bass-baritone Phillip Boykin as a regal Balthazar, baritone Todd Thomas as genial Melchior and perhaps most delightfully, tenor Bernard Holcomb as an excitable Kaspar; their harmonizing sounds perfectly grand. In the role of their mostly silent Page, Johnathan McCullough is resonant when required. Manuel Palazzo, Bryanna Strickland and Madeline Wright are the lithe dancers who lead the neighbors through the Agnes de Mille-ish gestures of Ioana Alfonso’s happy choreography.
As agreeably staged and performed as this Amahl and the Night Visitors may be, will youngsters of today enjoy it? Don’t ask me. An elevated work, it remains a worthy though stodgy musical drama developed upon a Christian theme. More practically, will a 45-minute opera prove too long a haul for the TikTok crowd? While the sound design by Marc Salzberg seems sufficiently crisp, the use of supertitles might be necessary for young ears accustomed to headphones. The brief holiday run of the production offers eight matinees. Hopefully Lincoln Center Theater will survey the younger spectators for their reactions.
Amahl and the Night Visitors opened December 18, 2025, at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater and runs through January 4, 2026. Tickets and information: lct.org
