A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE,
UP CLOSE AND BREATH-BY-BREATH

Opera this intimate feels less like a performance
and more like a shared act of wonder

This holiday season, multi-Grammy Award winner and Olivier Award–winning star Joyce DiDonato made opera feel truly intimate—an entirely new experience for me. She brought her formidable talent to a brand-new production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, by Gian Carlo Menotti, at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, directed by Kenny Leon. But the Newhouse is not an opera house: there is no grand orchestra between the audience and the stage, you don’t need binoculars or squinting to recognize characters, so you feel DiDonato’s warm, rich, smooth voice almost caressing you—until she takes off in rapid-fire passages delivered with surgical precision. At that point, your mouth opens and you begin to question whether she breathes like the rest of us. Add to that her sharp acting instincts: every phrase, every gesture, every pause arrives with purpose; nothing is random or superfluous.

The opera itself is a simple Christmas fable. Composed in 1951, it was Menotti’s response to a changing world: American opera was fancy, European, costly, and slightly intimidating—just as television was taking over living rooms everywhere. Commissioned by NBC to bring “high culture” to the small screen, Menotti set out to translate operatic grandeur into a kind of neorealism. After a period of writer’s block and artistic crisis, he ditched giant orchestras and over-the-top spectacle in favor of conversational singing and clear, direct pacing. The result was a one-act, camera-ready opera with a small cast, minimal sets, no indulgent arias, and just enough music to keep the magic alive.

The story begins with a disabled shepherd boy who uses a crutch to walk and his worried mother. They are so short on money they can’t even afford food, crammed into a tiny living space, wondering how to survive. Suddenly, the Three Kings arrive on their way to see the newborn Christ, and what follows is a night of chaos.

As Amahl’s mother, DiDonato is fierce and funny, portraying a worried, loving mom who is just trying to hold their world together. Albert Rhodes, Jr. plays Amahl, the curious, stubborn, imaginative boy, and his energy is contagious. His lines are mostly short phrases and playful rhythmic figures, which he sings with ease, incorporating his physical limitation and crutch into the choreography of his timing. The Three Kings arrive with style, personality, and gravitas. Phillip Boykin’s King Balthazar radiates warmth and generosity, Bernard Holcomb’s King Kaspar adds a dash of humor, and Todd Thomas’s King Melchior brings authority and charm.

Jesse Barrett, on oboe, adds warm pastoral color, bringing us back to ancient Arcadian sounds and Aesop’s fables, while pianists Nathaniel LaNasa and Riko Higuma perform a superb two-piano reduction. With fewer instruments, the voices are more exposed, allowing the audience to hear every word and experience each emotion. In this intimate staging, the musicians shape the mood, highlighting emotional moments and ensuring that, even without a full orchestra, the opera retains its magic. Leon’s clever direction makes sure of that, and I felt the intimacy even when nine neighbors and three dancers showed up to party in Amahl’s tiny room.

Ioana Alfonso’s choreography gives the movement a natural, playful flow, while Steven Osgood’s music direction preserves the score’s tender emotional core. Derek McLane’s scenic design makes the room feel poor but artsy, and Emilio Sosa’s costumes fit each character perfectly. Adam Honoré’s warm, low lighting supports the opera’s shift from realism to spiritual allegory, as Marc Salzberg’s sound design ensures crystal clarity. The show’s design and execution are impeccable from start to finish.

Premiering live on television on December 24, 1951, Amahl and the Night Visitors was an instant sensation, capturing the hearts of viewers across the country. Its popularity was so great that NBC aired it annually for more than a decade, turning it into a holiday tradition. For countless families, it was their first encounter with opera. Today’s larger-than-life spectacles make Amahl feel like a plain children’s play, but this cast and creative team treat it with passion and cleverness, drawing out its full emotional impact. They honor Menotti’s original vision, reminding audiences that even the simplest tale, when handled by very talented artists, can feel unexpectedly powerful.

The Page: Johnathan McCullough
Dancers: Manuel Palazzo, Bryanna Strickland,
Madeline Wright, Patrick Bessenbacher, Tynan Davis
Amahl’s neighbors: Miastasha Gonzalez-Colón, Brian Jeffers, Kathryn McCreary,
Natalie Trumm, Miguel Ángel Vásquez, Olivia Vote, Jason Zacher

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photos by Julieta Cervantes

Amahl and the Night Visitors
Lincoln Center Theater
in association with The Metropolitan Opera
Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Lincoln Center
45 minutes
ends on January 4, 2026
for tickets, visit LCT

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