Amahl and the Night Visitors is a part of many a families Holiday tradition. While many have never heard of Amahl and the Night Visitors, others look forward this family classic each year.
What do you like to do on family holidays? Whatever you enjoy, family holidays are a chance for everyone in the family to get reacquainted and spend quality time together. Family holidays are a good time to connect with your kids, studies have shown that when families have traditions, they are more likely to spend more time together an bond as a family.
So many families enjoy the tradition of watching the famous Christmas specials, Amahl and the Night Visitors is one such production. This feature for the holiday season first aired on NBC way back in 1951. This beautiful tale was commonly included in a series of other specials on programs featured on the station until about 1966.
This remarkable fifteen-year span was indicative of the popularity of anthology series that showcased a number of different programs. On a few occasions, Amahl and the Night Visitors was a presentation all on its own but these were rare. This holiday special was typically part of a package.
The show was originally presented in black and white but after 1953, Amahl and the Night Visitors shows were aired in color. This holiday opera was part of the NBC prime time programming. However, since the work was an opera the network was reluctant to showcase the feature in prime-time slots after 1961.
The Christmas opera was still presented regularly between 1961 and 1966 but it was aired during the daytime schedule to allow more popular shows to be aired during prime time. Interesting that the Amahl opera was actually a live production each year unit it was videotaped in 1963.
Before 1963, the opera was performed live and immediately showcased through the network. It is impossible to get these original productions anywhere. However, later productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors were captured on film and kept for posterity.
Two of the recorded shows were released on video, the 1955 and the 1978 programs. Interested parties can try to get their hand on elusive 1951 and 1963 cast recordings. The 1951 version is even available on compact disc. This version is not offered in stereo considering the era that it was originally taped.
Today, we don’t get much exposure to Amahl and the Night Visitors. This program has been showcased around the world and in various languages but it remains a memory to many people who remember the originals from its original fifteen year span on television.
The BBC production of Amahl was created 2002 but Americans have yet to enjoy this version on their local stations. For now, it seems as if Amahl and the Night Visitors will be enjoyed by people who have videos or recordings of the famous Christmas opera. For many, this program is a distant memory and for others it is a complete mystery.