Four Lost Santas is intended as a companion opera that leads into Amahl and the Night Visitors. The cast can be matched to voice types and characters in Menotti’s quintessential Christmas opera but could also work as a standalone opera.

THE CONCEPT

“Everyone knows Amahl…”

Well, in the opera world at least, it certainly feels that way and given how often Amahl is presented across the country, it just seemed to make sense to create a work that could seamlessly pair and flow into the beloved, holiday production of Amahl and the Night Visitors. Opera Orlando had already produced Amahl three times in our brief history and it was always well received with patrons clamoring for us to do it every year to make it a holiday tradition much like the Nutcracker or Christmas Carol is for our ballet and theater friends. The only thing is that Amahl is a rather short opera - about 60 minutes long to be exact - which definitely leaves some folks wanting more. So, what to pair with Amahl… THAT it is the question.

The concept of a story within a story, or a play within a play, is always a fun one and very effective as is seen in Pagliacci or Ariadne auf Naxos. And that is where the double bill brainstorming commenced, looking at the cast members and voice types already present in Amahl and then where does that take you. Well, with three Kings and a Page, you have four male voices that just happen to be in the right ranges for a barbershop quartet, an obvious conclusion there. And with Amahl and the Mother you know you will have a boy soprano and need some storyline involving a child and his mother.  Hmmm… what do children love most during the holidays… well that part was easy… Santa!! And instead of just one, why not four of them, a whole barbershop Quartet of Kris Kingles in fact. It all just made sense and instantly conjured up an evocative image of four barbershop singing Santa Clauses on the side of the highway with some car trouble but still keeping spirits bright by singing well loved Christmas tunes in tight four part harmonies. 

Now, how to connect our four Santas with the son and mother and eventually with a performance of Amahl and the Night Visitors? This is where Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy’s niche film, but required viewing for any theater student really, Waiting for Guffman served as inspiration. There is inherent drama and comedy behind the scenes of any theatrical production at any level, that is just a fact, but perhaps even more so for those thrown together last minute community productions that we have all been involved with at our churches, schools, or community theaters. That is where the real magic and comedy happens. Hence, Amahl and the Mother become Rudy and Judy on their way to their local community group’s production of Amahl and the Night Visitors where they will be of course featured in the main roles. BUT they just so happen to come across four lost Santas stranded on the highway doing their best to stay merry and hoping for a Christmas miracle. What ensues next, well, no spoiler alerts here…

CAST

(Amahl and the Night Visitors cast doubling in parentheses)

JUDY - (mezzo-soprano, plays MOTHER | 30s-40s woman, any race)
She is a loving but busy single mother who wants to spend quality time with her son, Rudy. She tries to be patient but is barely keeping it together.

RUDY - (boy soprano, plays AMAHL | child, any race)
He is a good-hearted and imaginative boy. He just wants his mother’s attention and will do anything to get it.

SANTA BARRY - (bass, plays BALTHAZAR | 30s-40s man, ideally a black singer)
He is a singer who is tired of taking terrible gigs. Leading man on stage but a nervous wreck offstage, he just wants something meaningful in his life. He is always putting his foot in his mouth.

SANTA GARY - (bass-baritone, plays MELCHIOR | 30s-40s man, any race)
He is a singer in desperate need of this gig to pay off his student loans from the conservatory. He is the anal-retentive leader of the quartet.

SANTA LARRY - (tenor, plays KASPAR | 50s-60s man, any race)
He is an old war horse of opera, has done every show EVER. A bit of a prima donna, he knows everyone in the business and for some reason lives in Florida. He is far too good for this gig, thank you very much.

SANTA TERRY - (bass, plays PAGE | 20s man, any race)
He is the newest member of the quartet. A young artist fresh out of graduate school, he is desperate to impress ANYONE and EVERYONE.

STAGE MANAGER - (speaking role, any age, race, or gender)
They are the stage manager for the community theater production of Amahl, just trying to keep this show on the road.

Opera Orlando has commissioned Four Lost Santas, a lighthearted work highlighting the hustle and bustle of the holidays, to be a comedic companion piece to Gian Carlo Menotti’s more serious and sacred Amahl and the Night Visitors. This one act chamber opera written by Spicer Carr and Rose Freeman, based on a concept by Gabriel Preisser, introduces a quartet of singing Santas, who are in a bind when their car breaks down on the side of the road. When two good samaritans, a mother and son, pull over to help out, things only become more complicated. The world premiere of this pairing is set for December 2024, and this hilarious and heartfelt work is perfect for the whole family, so get ready for what will surely become a new Christmas tradition.

SYNOPSIS

setting: the present
place: the side of the road and a community theatre
somewhere in America (near I-95)

A barbershop quartet of Santas (Barry, Gary, Larry, and Terry) are lost and stranded on the side of the road with a broken down car, missing their big break at SantaCon. A mother and son (Judy and Rudy), who are running late to perform in a production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, see them, and Rudy is amazed at the sight. He insists that he and his mother should help them, but Judy is reluctant to help as she is anxious to get to the show. Rudy, however, reminds her that, “The most important rule or creed is to help those in need!” After a lot of Christmas carols, friendship, and maybe even a little love at first sight, Judy yields. Not able to fix the car, everyone piles into Judy’s car and they head to the theater. They arrive to a stage manager in full panic mode. All three kings and the page have bailed on the Amahl production to go sing in a quartet at SantaCon. Talk about weird coincidences?! The production is about to be canceled until the Santas realize they can save the day and play the parts, because, “everyone’s done Amahl before!” The show is saved, and everyone gets their Christmas wish.

INSTRUMENTATION

flute / clarinet / bassoon / violin I & II / viola / cello / percussion / piano
9 musicians total

WORTH A WATCH