Review Roundup: AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS at Lincoln Center Theater

Lincoln Center Theater's production of the family opera Amahl and the Night Visitors recently opened at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. Read the reviews here!

The production is the first seasonal family offering in LCT history, presented in association with The Metropolitan Opera. Directed by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon, Amahl and the Night Visitors is now in performances through January 4, 2026.

Amahl and the Night Visitors stars multi-GRAMMY Award winner and Olivier Award-winning opera star Joyce DiDonato as ‘Amahl’s Mother,’ Albert Rhodes Jr. as ‘Amahl,’ Phillip Boykin as ‘King Balthazar,’ Bernard Holcomb as ‘King Kaspar,’ Todd Thomas as ‘King Melchior,’ Johnathan McCullough as ‘The Page.’

They are joined by ensemble members Jesse Barrett, Miastasha Gonzalez-Colón, Brian Jeffers, Kathryn McCreary, Manuel Palazzo, Bryanna Strickland, Natalie Trumm, Miguel Ángel Vásquez, Olivia Vote, Madeline Wright, and Jason Zacher. Offstage understudies include Patrick Bessenbacher, Tynan Davis, Kingston Nahm-Korn.

In the desert lands of the first century, a young boy catches the sight of a giant star. Later that evening, as his mother prays for the family’s future, they are visited by three wondrous kings whose unexpected arrival opens the way for Amahl’s heartfelt generousity to shine as brightly as the star itself. This is the tale of how a simple gift can become a miracle that transforms the world.

Francisco Salazar, Opera Wire: Joyce DiDonato headlined the production in the role of Amahl’s mother, showcasing a distraught and unbelieving woman that transforms into one of hope. The mezzo, who has become well-known for her warmth and charismatic persona, was perfect for the role as she showcased tenderness in her duet with Amahl, “Don’t Cry, Mother Dear.” DiDonato scaled down her vibrant voice to match with Albert Rhodes Jr.’s sweet soprano.

Steven Suskin, New York Stage Review: Lincoln Center Theater’s Amahl and the Night Visitors might not be just the thing for all audiences: it is a bona fide opera (written and performed in English) with religious subject matter, running under 50 minutes. But good theater is good theater, I say, and Lincoln Center’s production of Menotti’s Amahl is good theater.

Michael Sommers, New York Stage Review: As agreeably staged and performed as this Amahl and the Night Visitors may be, will youngsters of today enjoy it? Don’t ask me. An elevated work, it remains a worthy though stodgy musical drama developed upon a Christian theme. More practically, will a 45-minute opera prove too long a haul for the TikTok crowd? While the sound design by Marc Salzberg seems sufficiently crisp, the use of supertitles might be necessary for young ears accustomed to headphones. The brief holiday run of the production offers eight matinees. Hopefully Lincoln Center Theater will survey the younger spectators for their reactions.

Average Rating: 73.3%