A crippled boy, three kings, and a miracle—Menotti's opera that made America weep every Christmas.
A destitute, crippled child and his mother are visited late one night by three traveling strangers who claim to be following a star so that they may bring gifts to a newborn king. The yearly live telecasts of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors were a cherished Christmas tradition throughout the 1950s. In addition, since its premiere in 1951, Amahl has been performed regularly by community groups and small opera companies throughout the US, making it the single most popular American opera. This production, staged by the composer himself and originally telecast on Christmas Day, 1955, is a testament to the work’s enduring power to move the heart and stir the soul. Starring Rosemary Kuhlmann as the Mother and Bill McIver as Amahl. Members of the Symphony of the Air are under the direction of Thomas Schippers.
Score
Menotti's melodies so catchy even opera haters hum along.
Acting
Rosemary Kuhlmann's mother: desperate, proud, utterly devastating.
Director
Kirk Browning
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was the FIRST opera ever written specifically for television—Menotti invented the TV opera format in 1951.
Composer Menotti staged this 1955 production himself, rewriting some staging after the original 1951 broadcast to deepen the mother's desperation.
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