Amahl and the Night Visitors
Broadway World“Though it’s Amahl whose name is in the title, it is his mother who is the star of the piece, particularly when she is portrayed by the wonderful acting singer, mezzo Joyce DiDonato … Menotti’s aria for her (to his own libretto), “All that Gold,” showed her dramatic abilities, her expressiveness, to their best, as she sang of her love for her son.”
“Its depiction of poor characters struggling to maintain their dignity draws real blood: DiDonato uses her rich mezzo-soprano voice to potently convey the mother’s desperation…”
“Joyce DiDonato headlined the production in the role of Amahl’s mother, showcasing a distraught and unbelieving woman that transforms into one of hope. The mezzo, who has become well-known for her warmth and charismatic persona, was perfect for the role … During her aria, “All that Gold,” the mezzo showed pathos as she longed to give more to her poor son, each word sung with expressivity and heartbreak. In her farewell exchange with Amahl, “Do you really want to go?,” DiDonato sang with a mix of sadness and hope and once again paired her voice with Rhodes Jr. to perfection.”
“DiDonato’s light voice, amplified and engulfing, takes on transfixing power that grows the more distressed her character becomes. In her performance, the mother is a woman utterly overwhelmed: at wit’s end and exhausted, and easily pushed over the edge by her son’s fanciful lies. Sometimes, she can’t look him in the eye. In other moments, she is under the spell of his stories and their unwavering optimism. There is an uncomfortable truth to her ambivalent love for Amahl, and in this production it goes a long way to justifying behavior that has often left audience members scratching their heads.”