2010 Review:
Review: ‘Amahl’ performance near perfection
Friday’s opening of “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” staged by the Lyric Opera of the North, was as close to perfect as one might imagine.
Sam Anderson, as Amahl, allows the innocent sound of his young voice to capture all the sweetness and courage that Gian Carlo Menotti envisioned in his main character. At the same time, the motherly concern of Kate Kulas and the modestly pompous behavior of the three kings added a touch of sincerity and lightness to the miracle of the evening. Today or Sunday, without any question, you should be in the audience.
Ann Gumpper designed a very realistic clay shell of a house where all the action takes place. An opera at the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple has to deal with the broad stage with no wings, so that changing scenery is not really an option. All the same, the star “as large as a window, with a tail,” is very convincing, and the fact that all three kings had to duck to enter the house is a very satisfying stroke of forced humility.
The limping Amahl has been a habitual liar, so why should his mother believe anything? But when a king at the door becomes three kings at the door, even his mother has to yield to Amahl’s perception. Ultimately, the surprise miracle of the evening makes everyone on stage pause and contemplate the vast nature of any situation that we simply cannot comprehend.
At the center of the performance, dancers Suzanne Kritzberg and Ernest Lea Place offer a duet that lifts us all beyond the fragility of words. As they perform for the royal trio of William Bastian, Jeffrey Madison and Gabriel Mayfield, we watch kingly pride melt into a divine sense of humility.
As young Amahl realizes that he can dispense with his crutches, the three kings also understand that a true miracle has blessed their arduous journey. All three of the kings sing their hearts out for this particular mother and son, even as they continue their trek with the renewed Amahl at their side.
Keith Swanson led the chamber orchestra in a crisp, lightly accented approach to the delicate score Menotti created. The chorus of shepherds and partners came through the house, then left, using the fullness of the Masonic Temple as their wide open space.
Nonetheless, it remains to Kate Kulas and Sam Anderson as mother and son to offer an intimacy that is very tangible in this tightly defined space. Their two voices throughout the opera create many memorable moments. The powerful sense of miracle pervades this opera, yet the modest sense of overflowing warmth and compassion bring it to life at the corner of Lake Avenue and Second Street, right here in Duluth.
Under the competent leadership of Calland Metts and Sarah Lawrence, the LOON opera company has made a bold overture to carrying on the legacy of Ruth Jacobson, and we can only await the next opportunity to share in this creative enterprise.
2020 Review:
Theater review: ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ continues to charm audiences
For those inclined to think that Lyric Opera of the North’s production of “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” which opened Thursday night at the Masonic Temple, is a Christmas show that should have been scheduled in December, remember that the Adoration of the Magi is celebrated as the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 6.
As has been amply publicized, the title role of Amahl is played by Giulia Calland, daughter of LOON’s general artistic directors Sarah Lawrence and Calland Metts. Obviously, substituting a girl soprano for a boy soprano was going to make this “Amahl” sound decidedly different.
Calland creates an Amahl who is such a complete kid. She sings like a kid rather than an opera singer, which actually makes her Amahl more real than most and director Jeffrey Madison takes full advantage of what she brings to the table.
Calland gets plenty of laughs insisting to her mother there are kings knocking on the door and pestering the night visitors with questions (”Are You A Real King?”). But she delivers the dramatic moments equally as well, first with her spirited defense of her mother in “Don’t You Dare!” and then when Amahl decides he should give a gift to the Holy Child as well (“Oh, No, Wait”).
Also developing her character through her singing is Vicki Fingalson as the Mother, who makes “Stop Bothering Me!” and “Amahl, I Told You Not To Be A Nuisance!” work by how she is singing and not just what she is saying. The payoff for this is her soaring notes at the start of “All That Gold,” before lowering the volume and playing up the emotions of the moment.
The three kings make a dramatic entrance that starts in the balcony, proceeding down the stairs and through the audience. Gregory Rahming’s King Balthazar is so kindly answering Amahl’s questions, Metts has fun with the half-deaf King Kaspar as he extols the treasures in his box, and John Pierce’s King Melchior gives “Oh, Woman, You Can Keep That Gold!” a nice emotional weight.
One of the most impressive elements of this production are the shepherd and villagers who come to help entertain the kings. The choral work on “Shepherds! Shepherds!” was simply wonderful, as was how they “oohed” and “aahed” every time dancing shepherd Ryo Munakata lifted his dancing partner Brianna Crockett off of the ground. The choreography by Nikolaus Wourms infused the folk dance with simple charm.
Ann Gumpper’s scenic design is especially stellar, with the Star of Bethlehem high above the stage and stars extending to the ceiling during the night sequence. That is also where Alex Flinner’s lighting of the Mother being tempted by “All That Gold” was particularly effective.
The Masonic Temple is a gorgeous setting for this opera, and provides an intimacy larger venues cannot match, but there are some moments when conductor Dirk Meyer’s 14-piece orchestra overwhelms the singing. Fortunately, these are few and far between, and in the end “Amahl and the Night Visitors” delivers everything you want from this holiday classic.