USM pairing Christmas and opera

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - Pay attention, fans of opera and Christmas, because the University of Southern Mississippi has quite the package deal.

USM will be debuting its production of the holiday classics, “Amahl and the Night Visitors.”

The opera tells the story of the three kings going to see Jesus on the night of his birth, and is told from the perspective of a young boy and his mother.

The opera will be presented by the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and will feature members of the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company as part of their 104th season.

“This is one of our first, big-staged operas back in a while,” said Kassidy Chandler, USM vocal performance student. “It’s a well-known opera throughout the community. A lot of people love it and it’s a story everyone knows. And it’s getting kind of timely, too. We’re getting close to the Christmas season.”

The show debuted Thursday night at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium.

A second showing of the piece is set for 2 p.m. Sunday.

Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2023 WDAM. All rights reserved.