and
present
Amahl
and the Night Visitors
by Gian-Carlo Menotti
December 19 and 20, 2006
Westover Church
The UNCG Musical Arts Guild and School of Music present
Musical Arts Guild
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Music and Text by Gian-Carlo Menotti
By arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner
Producer/Musical Director/Conductor……..………………….……….David Holley
Technical Director/Lighting Designer…………………….……..……Jeff Neubauer
Original Lighting Design………………………………..………...James R. Hullihan
Stage Director/Choreographer…...…………………….…………... Marsha Paludan
Assistant to the Director …….....................................…….Philip van Lidth de Jeude
Scene Designer……………………………………….………...……..Robert Hansen
Costume Designer…………………………………………..……….…Deborah Bell
Chorus Master………………………………………….......................Hope Fairchild
Repetiteur ………………………………………………………..……….Avril Frick
Cast
(in order of vocal appearance)
Mother……….…………………………………..…………..……..Kimberly Dunn+
Candice Burrows*
Hope Fairchild (cover)
Amahl……………………………………………….……..…………..Zach Wiener+
Adam Howell*
Nick Relos (cover)
Kaspar……………..……………………………..…………………Jonathan Blalock
Jesse Darden (cover)
Melchior…………….…………………………….………...………… Conor Angell
Balthazar……………….………………………….……….…Hayden Cedric Dawes
The Page……………………..………………………………………..…David Clark
+12/19 performance
*12/20 performance
Dancers
Jon Parker Dougles, Erica Bell Honeycutt, Marvin Riggins, Jr.
Shepherds and Shepherdesses
Emily Byrne Jonathan Albright
Denise Crawfort Lindell O. Carter
Sidney Dixon Jesse Darden
Liane Elizabeth Sean Lucier
Melita Etienne Michael O. Martinez
Amberly Foulkrod Robert Matthews
Melissa Larkin Stephen Rayfield
Vivian Neal Nick Relos
Iloria Phoenix Marshall Rollings
Christina Szabo
The Story of Amahl
Amahl is a crippled shepherd boy of twelve who lives with his mother, an impoverished
widow, in a nearly empty hut. They face a bleak future with little food to eat or wood for fire.
The three Wise Men, on their way to Bethlehem, stop at the hut and request lodging for the
night. Amahl and his mother welcome them and offer to share what little they have. They are
astonished at the splendor of the Kings’ robes and the gifts being brought to the newborn child,
whom the mother, in her mind, identifies with her own son. The shepherds, led by Amahl,
approach and offer gifts and dances for the Kings. Following the departure of the shepherds,
all retire for the night. The mother sings of the unfairness of the gifts going to a child who the
Kings do not know, when she has a child who is starving. Under cover of darkness, while the
three Kings are asleep, the mother steals some of the gold and is caught in the act by the Page.
Amahl awakens and comes to her defense, beating on the Page and urging Kaspar, one of the
Kings, to intercede. Kaspar orders the Page to release the mother, and Melchior says that she
may keep the gold since the Child they seek has no need of it. The mother is moved by
Melchior’s description of the Child and returns the gold while lamenting that she does not
have a gift of her own to give. Amahl offers his crutch which he lifts and, in so doing, takes a
step without it. The Kings give thanks to God for this miracle, and Amahl convinces his
mother that he should go with the Kings to present the crutch to the Child himself. As dawn
approaches, Amahl sets off with the Kings, and, as the procession moves away, he plays on his
pipe the tune with which the opera began.
Notes
What accounts for the popularity of Amahl over fifty years after its premiere on NBC television
on December 24, 1951? It continues to receive more performances than almost any other
standard contemporary opera. I would imagine that the circumstances under which it was first
presented have something to do with its continuing popularity. Rather than a premiere
attended by a few hundred or even several thousand, the Hallmark Hall of Fame was watched
by millions in 1951 and the following seven years when the opera was given live televised
performances. Few, if any, operas have been afforded such a launching. But beyond that first
decade, it has continued to hold the imagination of a public, that, I suspect, wants desperately
to believe the opera’s essential message of hope. Amahl’s crippled leg does not prevent his
portrayal as one to whom both parents and children can relate and empathize. The widowed
mother’s unswerving love for her son, even in the midst of poverty and his tendency to
fabricate stories, is as poignant and relevant today as when it was written. Certainly the
opera’s brevity and reduced forces expand both the potential audience, through its appeal to
children, and the number of groups that can successfully mount a production of Amahl. But
beyond these factors, I remain convinced that Gian-Carlo Menotti has fashioned a miniature
masterpiece that holds our attention dramatically and lifts our spirits musically…all around a
central theme that suggests that it is through giving that we receive. Do you believe in
miracles?
-William W. McIver
Artists’ Biographies
Born and reared in Ireland, Conor Angell (Melchior) moved to Greensboro during high school. He studied
voice at Taylor University in Indiana, and currently studies with Dr. Robert Bracey, while he pursues his
Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at UNCG. Conor was bass soloist with the Marion Philharmonic
Orchestra and in the Peru, Indiana presentation of Handel’s Messiah. His operatic credits include complete
roles in and scenes from Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, Amahl and the Night Visitors,
The Gondoliers, The Billy Goats Gruff, and Jack and the Beanstalk. In 2007, he will create the role of
Timothy in the world premier of Seth Colaner’s He Cried Uncle!
Jonathan Blalock (Kaspar) recently debuted with the Greensboro Opera Company as the Registrar in
Madama Butterfly. This fall, he began his Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at UNCG, where he
appeared as Mr. Splinters in The Tender Land last April. Future engagements include Eisenstein in Act II
of Die Fledermaus with the UNCG Opera Theatre and the role of Silvio in Capital Opera Raleigh’s
production of Le Docteur Miracle. In 2006, Jonathan won second place at the North Carolina and Mid-
Atlantic Regional NATS auditions and the encouragement award in the Long Leaf Opera National Vocal
Competition.
Candice Burrows (Mother) began her DMA at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro this fall,
augmenting a career that has included appearances with the Boston Symphony, the Boston Pops, the New
York Philharmonic, the Music Academy of the West, and the Tanglewood Festival. After receiving a BM
from the University of Oregon, she attended the Guildhall School of Music in London and the University of
Southern California. In the spring, Ms. Burrows will be seen as Mama McCourt in the UNCG Opera
Theatre production of The Ballad of Baby Doe and will perform in Mexico, China, and Oregon.
David Clark (Page) joins the UNCG Opera Theater for the first time in this production of Amahl. He
studied previously at East Carolina University, where he performed as the Priest in Poulenc’s Dialogues of
the Carmelites, as well as Reverend Parris in Robert Ward’s The Crucible. Other stage credits include
participation in the ensembles of Madama Butterfly with Greensboro Opera Company and Handel’s Acis
and Galatea with ECU Opera. A psychology major, David is a North Carolina Teaching Fellow pursuing
the BA degree in Voice, studying under Dr. Robert Wells.
Jesse Darden (Kaspar cover) recently placed 1st at the Mid-Atlantic Regional NATS student auditions,
won the 2006 Euterpe Vocal Competition, and is a recipient of the Cooper Music Scholarship. He is a
Junior Vocal Performance major at UNCG, where he studies with Dr. Robert Wells and is a member of the
Chamber Singers. Mr. Darden has performed in Greensboro Opera Company’s The Will (Doctor/Lawyer),
as well as UNCG Opera Theatre productions of H.M.S. Pinafore (Bob Becket), Lakmé (Pickpocket), and
Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Papa Bear), which will be performed at the 2007 National Opera
Association Convention in New York City.
Hayden Cedric Dawes (Balthazar) was seen as Marco in Greensboro Opera Company’s production of
Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi last March. A junior pursuing a BM in Vocal Performance at UNCG, Mr.
Dawes studies with Levone Tobin Scott. With the UNCG Opera Theatre, he has been seen as Bob Becket
in H.M.S. Pinafore and in the ensembles of Lakmé and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Past Credits include
Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and roles in Annie and Bye Bye Birdie. Mr. Dawes has been third place
winner in both state and regional NATS competitions and also serves as bass section leader for Providence
Baptist Church of Greensboro.
Jon Douglas (Dancer) previously appeared with the UNCG Opera Theatre in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah in
2004. He is currently a Junior in the BFA Acting program at UNCG, where he has appeared in Jesus
Christ Superstar, Batboy, Marat/Sade, Urinetown, and Flannel Shorts. Jon’s professional and regional
credits include The Diary of Anne Frank and Brother Wolf with Triad Stage, Beauty and the Beast for
Charlotte Summer Theatre, and 42nd Street with CPCC Summer Theatre.
Kimberly Dunn (Mother), a native of Kansas City, Kansas, makes her UNCG Opera Theatre debut
tonight. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Wichita State University and is pursuing a
Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at UNCG. She is an active performer in recitals and concerts,
including engagements with the Colorado Springs and Fayetteville Symphony Orchestras in repertoire such
as Handel’s Messiah. Kimberly is a mother of three beautiful children, Kendall, Noah and Larissa and is a
member of Life Community Church.
Hope Fairchild (Mother (cover)/ Chorus Master) holds an MM in Vocal Performance and Conducting
from The University of Southern Mississippi, and is currently pursuing a DMA in Vocal Performance at
UNCG. She ranked as a national semi-finalist in the 2004 National Association of Teachers of Singing
Artist Awards Competition and was a guest artist for the 2004 Southern Region NATS Convention. Recent
roles include Zita in Greensboro Opera’s production of Gianni Schicchi, Mercedes in Bizet’s Carmen, The
Witch in Sondheim’s Into the Woods, and Cupid in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld. In the spring,
Hope will create the role of Angela in the world premiere of Seth Colaner’s He Cried Uncle and will
appear as Augusta Tabor in the UNCG Opera Theatre’s production of The Ballad of Baby Doe.
Avril Frick (repetiteur) earned her BA in Music from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri,
where she studied piano with Janice Saffir and accompanying with Shannon McGinnis. She accompanied
the Truman State University Chamber Choir, University Chorus, and Opera Workshop, and recently was a
staff accompanist at Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. In 2005 she was named a Theodore
Presser Scholar, and in March 2006, she performed Rhapsody in Blue with the TSU orchestra, as a winner
of the Gold Medal Concerto Competition. She is currently pursuing her MM in Accompanying at UNCG,
studying with Andrew Harley.
David Holley (Producer/Music Director/Conductor) is the Director of Opera at UNCG, where his
productions have won First Place in the NOA Opera Production Competition seven times since 1994, most
recently for Floyd’s Susannah and Adamo’s Little Women. Mr. Adamo was in residence and attended
opening night, and upon his recommendation, G. Schirmer used four excerpts from UNCG’s production of
Little Women for its promotional CD, Thirty New Operas, which was distributed to opera companies world-wide
in the fall of 2005. Mr. Holley has recently finished writing a libretto for Libby Larsen, who has been
commissioned by the UNCG Opera Theatre to compose a new American opera, adapting William Inge’s
play, Picnic, to be premiered in the spring of 2009. An active singer as well, he has appeared with regional
opera companies in Dallas, Atlanta, Rochester, Phoenix, Banff (Alberta, Canada), Greensboro, Shreveport,
Baton Rouge, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Pensacola, and elsewhere in a diversity of leading roles including
Pinkerton, Don José, Tamino, and the title roles in The Tales of Hoffmann and Roméo and Juliette.
Erica Honeycutt (Dancer) sang in the ensemble of the UNCG Opera Theatre’s Amahl and the Night
Visitors in 2004. She is pursuing a BFA in Acting with a minor in Dance at UNCG, where she was last
seen in Seussical, the Musical as a Bird Girl. Erica had an exciting summer in Colorado performing for the
Lake Dillon Theatre Company as Ti Moune in Once on this Island, Fern in Charlotte's Web and June in
Gypsy. In the spring, she will appear as Nancy in the UNCG Theatre production of Holy Ghosts.
Adam Howell (Amahl) started singing in the cherub choir at his church at age four. Now eleven-years-old,
he is a sixth grader at Penn-Griffin Middle School for the Arts in High Point. He is a member of his
school’s chorus and the High Point Area Arts Council Youth Chorale. Last summer, Adam had the
pleasure of performing in the Midsummer Players acting troupe. He enjoys computer technology, playing
with his younger brother, soccer, swimming, building Legos and wants to be an engineer when he grows
up.
Marsha Paludan (Stage Director/Choreographer) is an Associate Professor for the UNCG Theatre, where
she heads the movement training for the BFA and MFA Acting programs. Training with Marjorie Barstow
in the 1980’s, she is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, which serves as the basis for her
UNCG training program; last summer was her eighth year on the Eastern Music Festival faculty as an
Alexander teacher. She has performed her own work throughout the United States and Canada and has
been a guest artist in Ireland, England, Denmark, Holland, Australia, and Japan. She directs regularly for
the UNCG Theatre season. Directing credits include Miss Julie, Equus, Freedom Song for the North
Carolina Theatre for Young People, and Sound of Music. In 1999, she directed Emily Mann's Greensboro:
A Requiem, the central event for the yearlong "Who R We?" programming at UNCG. Nationally, Dr.
Paludan’s credits include choreography for the Hallmark Hall of Fame film for TV, Sarah Plain and Tall.
This production of Amahl marks the third time she has collaborated with the UNCG Opera Theatre,
including staging Mark Adamo’s Little Women (which was awarded first place in the 2004 National Opera
Association Opera Production Competition) and choreographing Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land last
spring.
Nick Relos (Amahl cover) is a fifth grader at Claxton Elementary School who sings with the Greensboro
Youth Chorus and the St. Francis Junior Choir. He loves singing, dancing, baseball and playing with his
dog, George. Nick recently performed as the Munchkin Mayor in the Community Theatre of Greensboro’s
Wizard of Oz. Additional CTG credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Peter
Pan. Nick is thrilled to be working with the UNCG Opera Theatre on this year’s production of Amahl.
Marvin Riggins (Dancer) is a Junior BFA Acting major at the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro. Mr. Riggins is making his UNCG Opera Theatre debut with his participation in Amahl and the
Night Visitors as a featured dancer. He would like to thank Marsha Paludan and his family for their
everlasting support.
Philip van Lidth de Jeude (Assistant to the Director), presently a DMA student at UNCG, has sung
extensively throughout the German-speaking areas of Europe and in the Netherlands. The many roles he
has sung include Otello (Otello), Samson (Samson et Dalila), and Don José (Carmen). Mr. van Lidth has
also made a foray into the world of film acting, portraying the Generalissimo in Abel, the Flying Lift Boy.
The film was premiered in Amsterdam in November of 1998 and has been shown regularly on television in
Europe. While studying at the Curtis Institute of Music, Mr. van Lidth met Gian-Carlo Menotti, who told
him the story about how he came to write Amahl.
Zach Wiener (Amahl) is an eleven-year-old sixth grader at Northwest Middle School. Zach loves the
theatre and has been involved in many performances with the Greensboro Children’s Theatre, such as
Chronicles of Narnia and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. He loves to sing, and does so with the Greensboro
Youth Chorus and the Northwest Middle School Chorus. Previously, he sang with the North Carolina Boys
Choir and The Philadelphia Boys Choir. When not busy with school, singing or performing, Zach enjoys
skateboarding, lacrosse, computer games and reading.
— —
Production Staff
Technical Director /Lighting Designer …………………….……….. Jeff Neubauer
Sound Engineers………………………………..………………..…Danny Slaughter
Flyman……………………………………………………………….….Danny Price
Additional Stage Crew…………….… Provided by Imagine Design and Production
Amahl, 2006 is dedicated to Jim and Jan Hullihan.
The Hullihans were central to the creation of UNCG’s Amahl in 1993, and
continued as Technical director/Lighting Designer and Production Manager,
respectively, through 2004. Thank you Jim and Jan!
Orchestra
David Holley, Conductor
Violin
Eve Hubbard, Concertmaster
Amanda Matthews
Dan Skidmore
Amanda Judd
Jane York
Viola
Diane Phoenix-Neal
Noah Hock
Cello
Brian Hodges
Meaghan Skogen
Bass
Rebecca Marland
Piano
Avril Frick
Harp
Bonnie Bach
Flute/Piccolo
Laura Pritchett
Oboe
Ashley Barret
Thomas Pappas
Clarinet
Kelly Burke
Bassoon
Rebecca Hammontree
Horn
Kate Hopper
Trumpet
Wayne Bennett
Percussion
Mike Austin
— —
Special Thanks
Charles Angel
Carolina Voices
Dianna Carter
Ann Doyle
Deborah Bell
Jan Hullihan
Dr. Cort McClaren
Chris English
Kay Thomas
Jennifer Schmidt
Dena Adams
The Wiener family
The Howell family
The Relos family
Bruce Goodrich
Jennifer Scott
Kathleen McGirty
Dr. John J. Deal
Fred Lopp
Dr. Deborah Egekvist
Aurelia Hepler
Wyndell Earles
Jill Yesko
Nathan Olawsky
Mark Maltby
Caralyn Vaughn
John Knox
John Cox
Danny Slaughter
Jessica Smith
Blondie Johnson
Eve Hubbard
Justin Cowan
Margaret McDonald
Steve Gilliam
Moore Music
Laura Holley
Danny Price
Mike Kennedy
Rebekah Kates
Eric Stevie
Erin Stevie
Ashley Neubauer
Kathy White
Ella Thompson
Amy Moore
WMAG Radio
News & Record
High Point Enterprise
Susan Wilson
Musical Arts Guild
Executive Board:
Anne Coltrane, president
Alice Pearce, vice president
Greer Ducker, secretary
Anne Saxton, treasurer
Jane Curtis, past president
MAG Board:
William P. Carroll
Barbara Cox
Beverly Dodge
Lynn Donovan
Eve-Anne Eichhorn
Carolyn Hall
Gwen Hall
Robert Herron
Lorna Heyge
Bethany Jennings
Alice Ann Johnson
Pam Murphy
Tom Shelton
Jason Thompson
Bob Thurston
Terri Vancil
Anna Weston
Scott Whitesell
— —
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Mail to:
Season Tickets/Musical Arts Guild, UNCG School of Music
P.O. Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
For additional information call:
UNCG School of Music: 336-334-5789
or visit - www.uncg.edu/mus
The UNCG Opera Theater is proud to announce our
Spring 2007 Season:
An Evening in Vienna!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
6:00 pm
Champagne…waltzing…dinner…silent auction…and…
Act II of Die Fledermaus
J. Strauss
Call 336.334.5126 for reservation information
This event is a UNCG Musical Arts Guild fundraiser,
which will benefit
***************************
The Ballad of Baby Doe
Douglas Moore
March 29-30 and April 1, 2007
Huggins Performing Arts Center
Greensboro College
Co-produced with the UNCG Theater Department
Media
Sponsor
http://www.wmagradio.com
The UNCG School of Music has been recognized for years as one of the elite
music institutions in the United States. Fully accredited by the National
Association of Schools of Music since 1938, the School offers the only
comprehensive music program from undergraduate through doctoral study in
both performance and music education in North Carolina. From a total
population of approximately 16,000 university students, the UNCG School of
Music serves over 600 music majors with a full-time faculty and staff of more than
sixty. As such, the UNCG School of Music ranks among the largest Schools of
Music in the South.
The UNCG School of Music now occupies a new 26-million-dollar music building,
which is among the finest music facilities in the nation. In fact, the new music
building is the second-largest academic building on the UNCG Campus. A large
music library with state-of-the-art playback, study and research facilities houses
all music reference materials. Greatly expanded classroom, studio, practice
room, and rehearsal hall spaces are key components of the new structure. Two
new recital halls, a large computer lab, a psychoacoustics lab, electronic music
labs, and recording studio space are additional features of the new facility. In
addition, an enclosed multi-level parking deck is adjacent to the new music
building to serve students, faculty and concert patrons.
Living in the artistically thriving Greensboro—Winston-Salem—High Point “Triad”
area, students enjoy regular opportunities to attend and perform in concerts
sponsored by such organizations as the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, the
Greensboro Opera Company, and the Eastern Music Festival. In addition,
UNCG students interact first-hand with some of the world’s major artists who
frequently schedule informal discussions, open rehearsals, and master classes at
UNCG.
Costs of attending public universities in North Carolina, both for in-state and out-of-
state students, represent a truly exceptional value in higher education.
For information regarding music as a major or minor field of study, please write:
Dr. John J. Deal, Dean
UNCG School of Music
P.O. Box 26170
Greensboro, North Carolina 27402-6170
(336) 334-5789
On the Web: www.uncg.edu/mus/
