# Why don't opera companies stage "Amahl" at Christmastime?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-opera-companies-stage-amahl-at-christmastime/520474>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 8, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-opera-companies-stage-amahl-at-christmastime/520474 "2009-12-08T18:29:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-opera-companies-stage-amahl-at-christmastime/520474/21 "2009-12-12T00:22:21Z")

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> [@twickster](#):
>
> […] so you’d have to pay a fee to Menotti (or his estate? is he still alive?)

He died a couple years ago (age 95).

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**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-opera-companies-stage-amahl-at-christmastime/520474/22 "2009-12-12T04:56:23Z")

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> [@Valgard](#):
>
> It’s too similar to Mozart’s **Don Giovanni**.
> 
> Everyone knows if you’ve Don Juan you’ve done Amahl.
> 
> 😃

Brilliant!  
My girlfriend was just in a college production of Amahl tonight. And, I know of two churches that have done small, amateur stagings in Christmases past.

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**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-opera-companies-stage-amahl-at-christmastime/520474/23 "2009-12-13T01:33:24Z")

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I just remembered that _Hansel und Gretel_ was always quite popular as an operatic traditional holiday production. Maybe it’s because, like _Nutcracker_, it’s aimed at children. Despite having a kid in the lead and an upbeat ending, _Amahl_ is overall more somber a tale and a bit more challenging for young ears. I still think it’d make a great tradition but for selling mass amounts of tickets, kid-friendly is where it’s at.

OT: And _Die Fledermaus_ is the standard New Year’s opera. Man, I remember WNEW / Channel 5 (now a Fox station) used to show it every year back in the '70s. Can you imagine a Fox station – hell, any regular broadcast channel – showing an opera in primetime these days?!

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-opera-companies-stage-amahl-at-christmastime/520474/24 "2009-12-13T04:21:51Z")

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> [@choie](#):
>
> A boy is optimal but not necessary. Our production used a young woman with a clear, pure, high soprano. Worked very well.

From the Wiki article:

> [@](#):
>
> From the Production Notes contained in the Piano-Vocal score: “It is the express wish of the composer that the role of Amahl should always be performed by a boy. Neither the musical nor the dramatic concept of the opera permits the substitution of a woman costumed as a child.”

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