Breadcrumb
UCM Division of Theatre & Dance and Division of Music to Present ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’
By Nicole Lyons, November 8, 2024
University of Central Missouri (UCM) Theatre and Dance and UCM Music will present the classic holiday opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20-23 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 23 in the Highlander Theatre on campus.
“Amahl and the Night Visitors” will transport audiences to a time when love, compassion
and the power of giving takes center stage. This family-friendly production brings
the Magi story to life through the eyes of a humble shepherd boy.
The stage is set for a miraculous Christmas experience and a never-before-seen puppet
spectacle on the Highlander Theatre stage. Audiences will also enjoy classic holiday
carols at the start of each performance in the Highlander lobby to put them in a festive
spirit for the show.
“This show is about faith and generosity, but we’ve also discovered that it’s deeply
about community, a theme we’ve embodied in our rehearsal process as we’ve collaborated
as an ensemble,” said director Jenise Cook, assistant professor of Theatre Performance.
“Audiences will be stunned by the power of this performance, the beauty of the music
and the atmosphere of joy the students have created.”
Special guest artists from will perform alongside the student cast, incorporating puppets designed explicitly
for this production through the generosity of the Jim and Jeanne McDowell Fund in
Theatre and Dance and a Speaker Series Grant from UCM Digital Learning and Instructional
Innovation.
Cook said that thanks to the collaboration with StoneLion Puppet Theatre, students are gaining unique puppetry experience.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see these talented students embrace the opportunity to
be part of this opera,” Cook said. “Many of them have never been exposed to the world
of opera and are fully engrossing themselves in the new techniques they are learning,
which brings an exhilarating energy to our production.”
Heather Lowenstein is the Founding Artistic Director of StoneLion Puppet Theatre Company
and a guest company puppeteer in the production.
“It’s been a pleasure working with the theatre students at UCM,” Lowenstein said.
“Their enthusiasm and hard work in embracing a new art form, puppetry, has added a
new level to this production.”
Tickets are free for UCM students, military, veterans and military families with valid
ID at the door and there is a Pay-What-You-Can performance at the Nov. 23 matinee.
Admission to all other showings of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” is $20 for the general
public, $15 for UCM faculty/staff and seniors and $10 for students and children 5
and up. ASL interpreters will be provided at the 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 performance.
The production team for “Amahl and the Night Visitors” includes Director Jenise Cook,
Vocal Director David Adams, Orchestral Director Dr. John Rutland, Accompanist Cindy
Groff, Stage Manager Gabe Sokolowski, Assistant Stage Manager Avory Nail, Technical
Director/Scenic Designer Spencer Musser, Assistant Technical Director Sam Fischer,
Puppet Design/Direction by Heather Loewenstein and Stonelion Puppet Theatre Company,
Costume Designer/Hair and Makeup by Cassie Kay Hoppas, Assistant Costume Designer
Lucy Nutt, Lighting Designer Wesley Freeman, Sound Designer Aleksandra Combs, Assistant
Sound Designer Amanda Dyck, Props Designer Sojeong Lee, Dance Captain Claire Groos,
Choreographers Ashley Miller-Scully and Jenise Cook, Sound Board Operator Amanda Dyck,
Light Board Operator Killian Lewis, House Manager Paige Showen and Box Office Managers
Matthew Kimbel and Dr. Aaron Scully. The Stage Crew includes Billiejean Valdivia,
Finn Juliano, Bryan Cooley and Sam Fischer and the Wardrobe Crew includes Kiera Carter,
Karlee Troutt, Allison Whitbey and Kayla Addison.
The principal roles of the show are Amahl played by Emily Turner, Mother played by
Katie Brunkhorst, King Kaspar played by Trae Selemaea, King Balthazar played by Quinn
Allen, King Melchior played by John Plasencio and The Page played by Reagan Medlock.
Ensemble members include Mason Enright, Lizzy Molina, Alicia Munoz, Anna Fletcher,
Claire Groos, Hannah Vath, Rosalyn Schuster (Amahl Vocal Cover), Audrey Shepard (King
Kaspar Vocal Cover), Ayla McCann (Page Vocal Cover), Dawson Black, Dmitry Crawford
(King Balthazar Vocal Cover) and Heather Loewenstein (StoneLion Puppets). The Trio
Singers are Laura Beach, Alex Hanshaw-Bhaskar and Luke Soule.
Orchestra members for “Amahl and the Night Visitors” include Tylee Parsons on flute,
Joey Stewart and Kayla Russell on oboe, Luna Jackson on clarinet, Brook Elliot on
bassoon, Sam Morris on horn, Barrett Conn on trumpet, Hyden Wirsig and Cory Schmitz-Hoepker
on percussion, Jeremy Brown (Concertmaster), Bryan Orozco and Patience McGinnis on
violin I, Jackson Meyer, Savannah Curtis-Tye and Dohyun Kim on violin II, Shane Parsons
and Austin Bull on viola, Bryan Weaver and Cameron Selbe on violoncello, Quincy Meyer
and Grace Adams on contrabass, Cynthia Groff on piano and Joshua Cash on harp.
Tickets are available at the UCM Theatre and Dance Office in Martin 113 from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, by calling 660-543-4020 or by visiting .
For more information, call 660-543-4020 or email boxoffice@ucmo.edu.