Vol. 18, No. 17Jan. 21, 1999

'Amahl' goes to Southern Delaware

T he Department of Music will present Gian-Carlo Menotti's classic one-act opera Amahl and the Night Visitors in Southern Delaware on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29-30. Local students will return to their hometowns to sing key parts.

Performances are scheduled at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 29, at the First Presbyterian Church, 54 State St., Dover; at 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 30, at Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church, 315 High St., Seaford; and again at 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 30, at Epworth United Methodist Church, 20 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach.

Tickets to the event, sponsored by the UD Office of Alumni and University Relations, are $7 for adults and $4 for students up to age 18. Tickets will be available at the door or may be ordered in advance by calling (302) 735-8200 or (302) 855-1620.

The first opera composed for television, Amahl has delighted audiences of all ages since it first appeared on NBC television in 1951. One of the most performed pieces in all the operatic repertoire, it tells the story of a destitute widow and her crippled shepherd son who share their humble home one night with the three kings, stopping to rest as they follow their star to Bethlehem.

This fully staged, beautifully costumed production features a number of UD music students. Patrick Evans, music, is staging the production and Lauren Gerhart, AS '97, of Newark is the choreographer.

"Amahl is such a moving, joyful piece of music theatre," Evans said. "It has a lasting impact on its audiences from young children to senior citizens."