The Three Kings ventured far from home to honor the birth of a new savior, signaled by a star. Opera San Antonio is venturing forth from its home at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, following its mission to make opera more accessible to all.
This week, San Antonio’s professional opera company is presenting the 45-minute, family-friendly Amahl and the Night Visitors as a “pop-up opera” to a variety of audiences at the Carver Community Cultural Center, Edgewood Fine Arts Academy, Magik Theatre and Alamo Heights United Methodist Church.
“We believe it’s critical to our mission as a company to help serve as wide a community within San Antonio as we can,” said E. Loren Meeker, the opera company’s general and artistic director and stage director for Amahl.
The opera visited the Carver Center Wednesday morning for an open rehearsal, similar to a dress rehearsal but with only a piano in place of the full Classical Music Institute orchestra. An estimated audience of 650 attended, representing a broad swath of San Antonians from young students of Scobee and Collier elementary schools to seniors from the District 5 and Normoyle senior centers.
The Carver audience reacted enthusiastically to the performance of young Amahl by Lopez Middle School eighth grader Graham Hansen, who sings the majority of lyric lines in the opera, interacting with Opera San Antonio company member Ann Toomey in the role of his mother, and the Three Kings played by Nicholas Nestorak, Brandon Morales and Federico De Michelis.
Great Hearts Live Oak student Carlos Pigeon will alternate performances of the Amahl role with Hansen.
Despite the complexity of the lead role for such young actors, “They are so on top of their game,” Meeker said. “They remember every inch of their staging, they have a great time connecting musically to what [conductor] Francesco [Milioto] and the rest of the cast are doing. There was not a single curveball that I could throw their way that they weren’t prepared for.”
The audience laughed heartily at Hansen’s antics as Amahl, who strains to earn his mother’s trust when she at first doesn’t believe three grand royals await in the yard of their humble home. Enthusiastic applause met the Three Kings and Amahl at the show’s end as they left the stage, off to greet the baby Jesus.
The Amahl venture represents several firsts for the company: first traveling pop-up show, first visit to the Carver Center, first collaboration with the Magik Theatre and Alamo Heights United Methodist Church and first matinee rehearsal for students.
But Meeker said the Opera San Antonio team is ready for the challenge. “Creating opera always takes a tremendous amount of work in terms of preparation,” she said, particularly when multiple venues are involved.
The effort to get out into the community is worthwhile, Meeker said, “hopefully getting some new opera fans for life when they come to experience what we do.”
The Sunday Alamo Heights show is already sold out, but tickets are still available for Friday and Saturday performances of Amahl and the Night Visitors at the Magik Theatre. Ticket prices range from $18.50-$23.50.
