Amal and the Night Visitors Off-Broadway Reviews

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.

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.

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.