By Suzanne Reese
In what has become and annual tradition, a partnership with SLCC’s Grand Theater and the UofU Music Department, brought a festive Christmas celebration – dubbed a Two Crutch Christmas Double Bill the operettas Amahl and the Night Visitors and A Christmas Carol to Salt Lake City. Amahl is a made-for-tv operetta that was written in 1951 by Gian Carlo Menotti. This version of A Christmas Carol is a Dicken’s operettic adaptation by locals Michael Leavitt and Anthony Buck.
It is no coincidence that both stories center around a young crippled boy, three night-time visitors and a Christmas miracle. The Grand’s Artistic and Executive Director Seth Wright describes the two performances as an excellent introduction to opera, since the lyrics are not as “intellectual” as some. The shows are indeed fun, fast moving, and succeed in putting the audience in the holiday spirit. (When the November 29th show ended, a little boy seated behind me exclaimed, “It feels like December!”)
Amahl and the Night Visitors (stage director Elizabeth Peters and music director Jeffery Price) is a touching story of a cripple-boy Ahmal (Alyssa Liu) with a zest for life and a propensity for tall tales, and his worried mother (Jana Conrad), who has decided that they must become beggars in order to continue feeding her young son. The two are visited during the night by three kings (Jordan Tolman, Alexander Norton III, & John Kovalenko) and their devoted servant (Cody Weaver-Carlson) who are following a start to find a newborn king. As the visitors sleep, the mother sees the piles of gold and reasons that just a few would not be missed, but would allow her to care for her son. She is caught trying to sneak some gold-pieces, but is granted mercy by the kings, and after a great show of faith, a miracle occurs. Conrad as the mother carries the bulk of the performance with powerful vocal and an impressive acting ability that allows her to be believable as both a concerned mother and a thief. Liu is a talented, exuberant young women who is quite believable in the role of a young boy. King Kasper (Tolman) was especially charming in his portrayal of a slightly senile and hard-of-hearing king.
The 2nd act, A Christmas Carol (with stage director Michelle Pederson), is the Dicken’s tale we are all familiar with, arranged in a short but lively operetta, featuring Ebenezer Scrooge (James Bobick) a miserly old man who despises Christmas and all things charitable and fun, who is visited on Christmas Eve by his former partner Jacob Marley (Robert Breault) and three spirits: Christmas Past (Kyra Chantel Furman), Christmas Present (Greg Watts), and Christmas Future (Sarah Welker). The visitors manage to touch Scrooge’s heart and by morning he is a new man, prepared to enjoy the day with his ever-patient nephew Fred (Mason McDermaid). He also devotes his time and money to help his long-time employee Bob Cratchit (Josh Steed) and his cripple son Tiny Tim (Miles Keeton).
The cast of characters are all University of Utah students, with the exception of Breault, (Jacob Marley) who is the Artistic Director of the UofU Lyric Opera Ensemble; and young Keeton – who is as adorable a Tiny Tim as one could hope for. Despite their status as students, there is no shortage of talent, both vocal and acting. The ensemble’s performance of “We Saw Three Ships” will have you tapping your toes and wanting to join in the dance, skillfully choreographed by Kyra Chantel Furman. The stage is rather small for such a large cast during the fancy dress ball, but Furman manages to keep all characters moving smoothly, which gives the scene the feel of a large ballroom.
My favorite number of the evening is “Have You Seen a Child?” performed by the mother and three wisemen in Ahmal – which had me wiping away a tear. The mother’s role was the most demanding, carrying the storyline throughout, and Conrad was up to the task with strong and powerful vocals.
The performance I attended ran smoothly for a first run, with just a few pauses by cast members that were covered smoothly by the live orchestra and the deft guidance by conductors Dr. Robert L. Baldwin and Leavitt.
One of the highlights of the show is the lighting (Seth Miller), which gives sets the scene of both a starry night that is expecting the Savior, and an eerie night filled with nightmares. The scenery (Halee Rasmussen) is simple and understated, yet purposeful. Amahl’s set consist simply of a wall and door that create a humble home. The entire stage transitions to a London town for the second act. While some of the costuming (Arika Schockmel) seemed a little contemporary for my taste (but was still lovely), the originality of the three visitors in A Christmas Carol made up for it. Especially the Spirit of Christmas Future, who wore an eerie glowing outfit.
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The young cast and crew clearly enjoy working together and bring their youthful enthusiasm to the stage. It is surprising the level of operatic skill these students demonstrate, as well as their sincere acting performances. The show is double cast, and characters change every year since it is a university performance. All the more reason to attend regularly.
Amahl and the Night Visitors | A Christmas Carol at the Grand Theatre was a lovely part of my Christmas festivities and I’m committed to 1. Come see it again next year (it’s an annual event), and 2. See more fabulous productions at the Grand. I think I’ll make that a New Year’s Resolution–a little early.
Amahl and the Night Visitors | A Christmas Carol at the Grand Theatre
The Grand Theater, 1575 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
October 29-December 1, 2018, 7:30PM
Tickets: $10-$20
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