James Sewell Ballet Holiday Performance: Amahl and the Night Visitors

This elegant animation of Gian Carlo Menotti's poignant opera about a lame boy determined to offer up his most treasured possession—his crutch—to the Christ Child fits your holiday time schedule and your kids' attention spans. At a mere 50 minutes, Amahl offers up witty portrayals of the Three Kings who visit Amahl's poor hut on the first Christmas and wind up taking the feisty peasant boy with them to Bethlehem. The mix of ballet and American Sign Language, simple but elegant decor inspired by stained-glass windows, and nuanced dancing by the James Sewell Ballet augmented by a couple of adorable little shepherdesses will season your season with subtle epiphanies.
Fri., Dec. 21, 6 & 8 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 22, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m., 2007