Amahl and the Night Visitors

Three Wise Men. One Miraculous Night.

Seamlessly pairing live singing and music with masterful puppetry, Amahl and the Night Visitors brings to life the story of three kings – the Magi – who have traveled from far away lands to bring gifts to a child born in Bethlehem. When they stop to rest for the night, they are taken in by an impoverished, disabled boy and his mother. Amahl is dazzled both by their stories and the exotic treasures they carry, but the humble host will soon show them what it truly means to give with a generous heart, triggering a miraculous ending to this inspiring story. Based on Italian folktales of the Nativity and the Epiphany, this imaginative, unique telling of the first Christmas is an original Lyric Opera of Kansas City production created in collaboration with master puppeteer Paul Mesner. It’s a heartwarming holiday tradition designed with families in mind, and you can only experience it right here in KC.

All performances will be in The Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building.

SINGLE TICKET PRICE $35
SUBSCRIBER ADD-ON PRICE $31.50

COMPOSER Gian Carlo Menotti
LIBRETTIST Gian Carlo Menotti
CONDUCTOR Piotr Wiśniewski
DIRECTOR James Smith
Original Production by Shawna Lucey

Understand every word: Performed in English with English subtitles

Cast

The Mother, Aubrey Odle

Mezzo-soprano Aubrey Odle is a graduate of Utah State University (BM) and Brigham Young University (MM). Notable roles include the title role of Carmen, Mistress Quickly (Falstaff), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), and La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica). In the year 2020, Aubrey made her professional debut with Knoxville Opera as Gertrude (Roméo et Juliette). She performed regularly as a resident artist with Knoxville Opera in 2020, most recently featured as Carmen in “On the Lawn with Carmen”. Recently, she won the Utah Opera Ariafest competition, and was a finalist in the Orpheus Vocal Competition (Jacqueline Polk Award), and a semifinalist in the Houston Saengerbund Awards.

King Balthazar, Peter Morgan

Bass-Baritone Peter Morgan is a recent graduate of the Shepard School of Music at Rich University. Notable roles include; Leporello (Don Giovanni), Colline (La bohéme), and the title role in Le nozze di Figaro. Mr. Morgan has performed several regional and world premieres of new works including Jason and the Argonauts by Gregory Spears with The Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Scorpions’ Sting by Dean Burry, also with The Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Copper Queen by Clint Borzoni with Arizona Opera. Recently he performed in the Glimmerglass Opera production of John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles with L’Opéra Royal de Versailles.

King Melchior, Keith Klein

Bass-Baritone Keith Klein is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music (2018) and Florida State University (2020), Mr. Klein won the 2014 KC Superstar competition and appeared on season ten of America’s Got Talent. Recent performances with Lyric Opera of Kansas City include the Page (Amahl and the Night Visitors), a soloist in the Soundscapes in the City concert series, and a featured soloist in the digital series Opera in Eight Parts.

King Kaspar, Wayd Odle

Tenor Wayd Odle recently worked with Knoxville Opera as a resident artist. Notable roles include Don José (Carmen), Rodolfo (La bohéme), Nemorino (The Elixir of Love), Tamino (The Magic Flute), and most recently Tybalt (Roméo et Juliette.) Mr. Odle is the winner and recipient of the 2021 American Prize Award and earned an Encouragement Award at Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2020. He has performed as a soloist with Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Utah Philharmonic Orchestra, and Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra. Mr. Odle attend Wolf Trap Opera’s summer apprentice program in 2020 and will return in 2021 to perform Beadle Bamford (Sweeney Todd).