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 5th 2024 at 4 pm at Bethel Congregational Church UCC, 536 N Euclid Ave, Ontario CA 91762 Doors open at 3pm Opera "newbies"  and aficionados 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 once again thrilled with this season's planned 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 cast and chorus preparation - this promises to be ANOTHER FABULOUS SOUTHLAND AMAHL! This production of Amahl and the Night Visitors features outstanding soloists in the principal cast, and 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. Tickets for this special production: VIP/Premium $20 (includes preferred seating, treat bags, wine tasting at the after-concert reception, doorprize entry)  General Admission $10 (includes admission and doorprize entry). Children under 12 are free.  We recommend purchasing tickets in advance. (Tickets may be purchased at the door, subject to availability - this production may sell out)  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 - You will receive your door prize tickets with admission,  and the doorprizes will be awarded at the end of the performance, AND - there will be a reception following the show!  A note about seating - Seating in this historic church is in pews. The "VIP/Premium" seating is indicated by Red Ribbons on the reserved pews. Doors open at 3pm Handicap Access - Ramp available at rear of building (adjacent to parking lot on F Street)