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Mandy Madson (l) as Amahl, and Cindy Rollins (r) as Mother.
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The Division of Music at Brewton-Parker College (BPC) is bringing a special treat to area residents this holiday season. On Saturday, December 12, at 3 p.m., in the Glennville City Auditorium, audiences will have the opportunity to hear Menotti’s charming Christmas opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” performed by the Lyric Theater of BPC.
Originally composed for television, this opera is a delightful tale woven around a stop made by the three Wise Men on their way to see the infant Christ. Because the original format was specifically designed for the studio rather than the large stage, the work is surprisingly intimate both in scope and scale. Sung entirely in English, and approximately one hour in length, this is the perfect piece for both newcomers to opera and those who love the genre. The work is filled with humor as well as moments of pathos and spiritual exaltation and will be sure to please all in attendance.
This performance is part of an overall fundraising plan developed by the Division of Music and Kandie Smith, Director of the BPC Lyric Theater, in order to support a wonderful opportunity facing the members of the Concert Choir at Brewton-Parker College. Thanks to the skill and national reputation of BPC Choral Director Dr. Sonja Sepulveda, the BPC Concert Choir has been invited to sing at Carnegie Hall in the summer of 2010. This unprecedented invitation will offer students the opportunity to sing the hauntingly beautiful “Rutter Requiem” under the baton of John Rutter himself. For most of the students, this will be the first and only time they will ever walk onto the most revered of musical stages, and, for each of them, it is an eagerly anticipated event.
Proceeds from this performance will be used to assist each of the students in raising the $2,000 required to fund their travel to New York. This performance is one of several that the Lyric Theater will perform through southern Georgia, as the students work to raise the money to make this once-in-a-lifetime trip.
The cast members, all music majors at BPC, are Mandy Madson and Mystie Bennett as Amahl; Cindy Rollins and Kara Norris as Mother; Troy Stephens and Nathan Daugherty as Kaspar; Rodney Schramm and Dalls Wilke as Melchior; Steven Hopper as Balthazar; and Brett Boggus and Clint Oliver (of Glennville) as the Page. Summer LaFavor, Chesley Woods, and Anthony Purcell round out the ensemble of performers. Cathy Rogers will provide piano accompaniment.
Held in the Glennville City Auditorium, limited reserve seating is $10, and general admission will be $5. Reservations may be made through the Glennville Chamber of Commerce office, located in the Glennville Welcome Center next door to City Hall, or by calling Glennville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Charles Barnard at 654-1616.
Sponsors of the opera include the Glennville Sweet Onion Festival Committee, McCurdy’s on Main, Strickland’s Pharmacy, Charlton Rogers, Glennville DQ Grill & Chill, and The Glennville Sentinel.
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