Seoul Opera Company December 9 Performance of 'Amal and the Three Wise Men'

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The Sejong Center Seoul City Opera Company will perform Gian Carlo Menotti's 'Amahl and the Night Visitors' at the Sejong Center S Theater on December 9.

'Amahl and the Night Visitors' is a story that takes place just before the birth of baby Jesus. It depicts the events that occur when the three kings, on their way to Bethlehem, spend a night at the home of Amahl, a shepherd boy, and his mother.

The protagonist of the work is Amahl, a lame boy. Menotti wrote the opera for children, and 'Amahl and the Night Visitors' reveals Menotti's special affection for children. It tells how miracles can happen through faith, tolerance, love, and good deeds from the perspective of a young child.

The Seoul City Opera Company previously received positive responses from audiences with their 2018 performances of 'Amahl and the Night Visitors' and 'The Old Maid and the Thief.' 'Amahl and the Night Visitors' is also the first television opera written in English. It was broadcast on NBC TV in the United States in 1950 and has been aired every Christmas Eve for over 50 years.

The production is directed by Lee Beom-ro, the resident director of 'Opera Toktok,' and conducted by Jung Joo-hyun. The Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Chamber di Fini will collaborate, and the arias in the work will be sung in Korean.

This performance is part of Matinee Season 2 'Opera Toktok' and will be held twice at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM. The opera matinee series was steadily loved from 2013 to 2018, took a short break, and has returned anew this year. The 'Opera Toktok' performances in March and May were held as audience-free online live broadcasts due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The Seoul City Opera Company plans to deliver this 'Amahl and the Night Visitors' Opera Toktok performance comfortably and easily with commentary on a small stage closer to the audience.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.