SALISBURY — BARN OPERA completes its second season “The Season of Love” with Giancarlo Menotti’s holiday opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” This production will be performed by an all-Vermont principal cast as well as a local amateur chorus, on Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14. There will be two performances each night, at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
“Amahl and the Night Visitors” is the story of a poor mother and her crippled son who exhibit extraordinary generosity by giving everything that they own to provide comfort for three kings that are on their way to visit the Christchild. In a moment of self-protection, and unconditional love for her son, Amahl’s mother tries to right cosmic injustice by stealing some gold. After a brief outbreak, the kings return the humbling generosity, and a miracle occurs as a result. 
The principal cast of professional artists in this performance all currently reside in Vermont, including; soprano, Helen Lyons (Amahl’s Mother — Ferrisburgh) who returns to BARN OPERA after her appearance as Madama Butterfly in BARN OPERA’s inaugural production. Baritone Nicholas Tocci (King Melchior — Pawlet), who was recently heard as Escamillo in BARN OPERA’s “Carmen” in May, and made his directorial debut of “The Barber of Seville” in February 2019; and tenor Martin Schreiner (King Kaspar — Rutland) makes his BARN OPERA debut; baritone Cailin Marcel Manson (King Balthsazar — Putney), is no stranger to BARN OPERA, after his performance of Sharpless in BARN OPERA’s production of “Madama Butterfly.”
Brothers Joshua and Jonathan Kafumbe (Amahl — Middlebury) will make their operatic debuts as the titular Amahl on alternating nights. Jonathan, a local elementary school student, and Joshua, in middle school, come from a remarkably musical family, with their mother, Betty Kafumbe being the music director of the Allegro Community Chorus out of the Middlebury Community Music Centre. 
Making her debut with BARN OPERA is pianist Kristen Carr (pianist/music director — Brandon). Carr is well known to the Brandon community for her work with Otter Valley Union High School’s annual musical. A multi-faceted performer, Carr has also accompanied singers and bands of all genres through the region. Stage direction and production design will be by BARN OPERA’s Artistic Director, Joshua Collier. This will be Collier’s eighth production as director of BARN OPERA. 
This production is a collaboration between BARN OPERA and the Salisbury Congregational Church. Adult tickets are $30. Tickets for children under 17 (up to two tickets per ticketed adult) will be subsidized by a generous donation from the Compass Music and Arts Foundation. To purchase tickets in advance visit barnopera.com and click on “tickets.”
Donations to CMAF are appreciated and make these subsidies possible. Contact Edna Sutton at (802) 247-4295.