AMAHL returns to Ontario for the annual performance! "Shepherds, Arise!" (People of Greater Ontario and the Inland Empire – come and see!) Amahl and the Night Visitors will be performed Sunday, January 5th 2024 at 4 pm at Bethel Congregational Church UCC, 536 N Euclid Ave, Ontario CA 91762. Doors open to the public at 3pm.

Tickets: https://givebutter.com/SSO-AMAHL2025

Opera "newbies" and afficionados alike will rejoice in the chance to experience this production of Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, presented by the Southland Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of Ontario.

Amahl is a family-friendly opera and has been enduringly popular since its premier in 1951. Commissioned by NBC as the first opera written for television, Amahl and the Night Visitors debuted on December 24, 1951 becoming the first network television Christmas special to become an annual tradition. Composer Gian Carlo Menotti drew inspiration for the opera from Hieronymus Bosch's The Adoration of the Magi, which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and from his childhood in Italy where gifts were brought at Christmas by the Three Kings instead of Santa Claus.

Featuring outstanding principal vocalists in collaboration with the Southland Symphony Orchestra, this live, in-person performance will showcase some of the finest singers in Southern California. Featuring Kyla Page Williams as the Mother; Sherry Kaplan as Amahl; Lee Conger as Kaspar; Phil Meyer as Melchior; Eli Katz as the Page, and Michal Dawson Connor as Balthazar.Their great vocal skill and dramatic ability and deeply immerse the audience in the action of the story. The Shepherd's Chorus includes members of the Southland Symphony Orchestra Opera Chorus.

"We are thrilled with this production of Amahl and are so very proud of our outstanding principal singers, chorus, and orchestra", says Dr. Sylvia Lee Mann, who is the Music Director & Conductor of the Southland Symphony, and the Pastor of Bethel Congregational Church. Michal Dawson Connor returns as our Director, and Dr. Sylvia Lee Mann, Music Director and Conductor, leads the musical production. with the spirited cast of talented vocalists. Dr. Mann and Mr. Connor are working together with the chorus preparation - this promises to once again be a FABULOUS AMAHL!

Amahl and the Night Visitors tells the story of Amahl, a shepherd boy who has a propensity to tell tall tales, and his mother. Amahl's most recent story is about a star with a tail that moves across the sky like a chariot on fire. It is a magical, holiday tale of the journey of the Magi. When three splendid strangers knock on the door and ask to rest in their tiny home, Amahl is thrilled and fascinated. When the visitors describe the miraculous child they are seeking, both Amahl and his mother are moved to give reverence to the child as well. Their humble faith conjures a miracle. Through love and forgiveness, the charming story kindles the spirit of the holiday season. This is an inspiring and family-friendly production that is sure to touch the hearts of all ages.

Tickets for this special production: $20 for Premium/VIP tickets (VIP includes your choice of preferred seating and special treats) and $10 for general admission. Children under 12 are admitted FREE! No one is refused for lack of funds - this is made possible only with your donations!

To purchase tickets online, visit: https://givebutter.com/SSO-AMAHL2025

(Limited tix will be available at the door - get your tickets soon - this event often sells out!)

For more info and additional event details, visit https://southlandsymphony.com

A note about seating - Seating in this historic church is in pews - Seats reserved for VIP/Premium ticket holders are marked with red ribbons!

A note about this special performance - this performance will NOT have an intermission, since this is a one-act Opera, with no appropriate time for an intermission. (It would completely disrupt the story!) So - the door prizes will be awarded at the end of the performance, and there will be a reception following the show!

Handicap Access - Ramp available at rear of building (adjacent to parking lot on F Street) See less