A classic made-for-television opera will make its way onto the stage beginning this evening in Grantsville.
The Pioneer Valley Chamber Ensemble will perform “Amahl and the Night Visitors” for the second consecutive year at Celebration Hall in Grantsville. The opera originally aired 65 years ago during a Christmas Eve broadcast on NBC.
Composed by Gian Carlo Menotti, the opera is in English and follows the story of an impoverished woman and her crippled shepherd son, Amahl. The unlikely pair host three kings on their way to locate a newborn king in nearby Bethlehem and a miraculous event follows.
The opera is entirely in English and was designed to fit within one hour of television, so its run time is a tidy 45 minutes. Pamela Dale, opera director for the Pioneer Valley Chamber Ensemble, said she hopes the opera can become an annual holiday event in Tooele County.
“We want this to become a tradition and give it to the community free of charge,” Dale said. “It’s very family-friendly and children love it.”
The production features a limited cast, with the primary roles consisting of Amahl, his mother and the three kings: Kaspar, Melchior and Balthazar. Amahl will be played by Kalen and Royce Evans and the role of his mother will be played by Heidi Robinson.
The role of King Kaspar will be split by Elliot Morris and Gregory Briggs, while King Melchior and King Balthazar will be played by Gary Hoover and Russell Evans, respectively. The king’s page will be played by Gregory Briggs, Dan Martin and Logan Evans.
In addition to named roles, there will be a number of shepherds and shepherdesses and children involved in the opera. Dale will play the role of a shepherdess and direct the performance; Betta Nash is the co-director.
The performance will be accompanied by Christie Steadman on the piano.
Dale said the group relies on local talent and is operating out of Grantsville since she took over Celebration Hall, formerly the Ivy Garden, at 34 N. Church Street.
There will be six performances beginning this week on Dec. 1, 2 and 3 and continuing next week on Dec. 8, 9 and 10. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free to the public.