AMAHL returns to Ontario! "Shepherds, Arise!" (People of Greater Ontario and the Inland Empire – come and see!) Amahl and the Night Visitors will be performed Sunday, January 7th 2024 at 4 pm at Bethel Congregational Church UCC, 536 N Euclid Ave, Ontario CA 91762 Opera "newbies" and afficionados alike will rejoice in the chance to experience this joint 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. Their great vocal skill and dramatic ability and deeply immerse the audience in the action of the story. "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. Dr. Mann leads the musical production, and Michal Dawson Connor, is the artistic/stage director with the spirited cast of talented vocalists. Dr. Mann and Mr. Connor are working together with the chorus preparation - this promises to be a FABULOUS AMAHL! This production of Amahl and the Night Visitors features Kyla Page Williams as the Mother; Lee Conger as King Kaspar; Phil Meyer as King Melchior; Michal Dawson Connor as King Balthazar; Also featuring Eli Katz as the Page, and Joseph Hu as Amahl. The Shepherd's Chorus includes members of the Southland Symphony Orchestra Chorus. 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. 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!  (Audience members will have an opportunity to purchase additional door-prize tickets if they wish, upon arrival. So - you may wish to arrive early!)