Genesis Opera Theatre will stage its annual production of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” at Trinity Episcopal Church in Escondido, with performances set for Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18 and 19, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 20, at 3 p.m. The one-act Christmas opera, written in English by Gian Carlo Menotti, follows a young disabled boy named Amahl who lives in poverty near Bethlehem with his widowed mother before an encounter with the Three Kings changes their fortunes.
The production draws performers from four Southern California counties, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, with talent coming from San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, a detail corroborated by ArtsTix. Cynthia Leigh directs the show and also appears onstage as the mother, while Abraham Fabella provides musical direction. Antonio Lin takes on the title role of Amahl, and Megan Theodorou alternates as the mother in her debut with the company.
Rounding out the cast, Patrick Blackwell, Patrick Anderson and Christopher Anderson-West play the three visiting kings, with Malachi Marshall as the page, per the same production details reported by the Union-Tribune. Leigh said the opera serves as an introduction to opera for children and adults alike, adding that she is delighted to share it with both new and experienced opera audiences.
A Story Rooted in Art and Television History
“Amahl and the Night Visitors” first aired on television Dec. 24, 1951, on NBC's “Hallmark Hall of Fame,” a milestone documented in the Union-Tribune's earlier coverage of a 2022 Genesis Opera Theatre staging at an earlier Escondido production. The opera was inspired by “The Adoration of the Magi,” a painting hanging in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, that same report noted.
The opera has become an annual tradition for Genesis Opera Theatre since 2018, carrying forward the company's mission to make opera accessible to people of all ages at a reasonable price while inspiring young people to participate in or support the art form, according to a news release describing the organization's goals.
Tickets and Venue Details
Trinity Episcopal Church is located at 845 Chestnut St. in Escondido. Adult tickets cost $35, while children's tickets for ages 12 and under are priced at $25. Tickets are available at the door or in advance through sdartstix.com, and tickets along with donation options can also be found at genesisoperatheatre.com.
