Popular Elsewhere, ‘Amahl’ Is a Rare Visitor to O.C. : Opera: Musical Theatre Company will preview its production of the holiday classic at the Gem.

In many places outside of Orange County, “Amahl and the Night Visitors” has to be one of the most popular shows for the holidays. Maybe not up there with “A Christmas Carol” or “Nutcracker,” but it’s still a classic.

So George Quick was surprised at the confused looks and curious comments he got when he told friends he was staging it for his Musical Theatre Company.

“I had people ask why I was doing a Christmas show in a mall, “ the bemused Quick recalled. “I’m not kidding. . . . I had to tell them it’s not a mall, it’s Amahl. “

He said, laughing, “It’s really pretty ironic . . . you think of the commercialism of Christmas, [and] shopping malls come to mind. It’s not what I’d associate with this wonderful opera.”

Gian-Carlo Menotti’s Christmas opera, which previews at the Grove Theater Center’s Gem Theatre Friday and Saturday nights and officially opens Sunday, tells the story of the poor, crippled Amahl, his mother and the three kings searching for the Messiah.

When they cross paths one cold evening, all undergo spiritual transformations set to music that Quick describes as “simply gorgeous--the melodies and themes and chord structures are just brilliantly beautiful.”

Those qualities have made it one of the more enduring offerings for the season, showing up in playhouses around the world this time of year. But Quick pointed out that “Amahl” has made few appearances in Orange County, at least in the more recognized venues.

“Church groups [locally] will do it, and certainly theaters in L.A., but it’s not really done around here, and I don’t know why,” he said. “That was one of the reasons we wanted to do it. It really is part of our cultural literature and deserves to be seen.”

And in Quick’s mind, it also deserves a fresh look. Instead of the traditional biblical setting, he jumped “Amahl” to modern times, placing it in an urban ghetto. Instead of shepherds resting with their flocks, this production will be peopled with winos and vagrants hanging out on the corner.

Quick said the environment isn’t “geographically specific” [this isn’t meant to be the worst neighborhood in South-Central Los Angeles or New York’s Harlem], but more symbolic of the destitution that can be found in most big cities.

“When we see a shopping cart with someone’s belongings in it, we think of the poverty that they are dealing with, [and] that can be very affecting,” said Quick, who designed the sets in addition to directing.

“Everyone who is familiar with the piece recalls a little hut in the hills and the shepherds of 2,000 years ago. But we’re looking at it differently; it’s contemporary without being dark or depressing. . . . I just hope it has the rich visuals” the opera is known for.

He’s also optimistic that “Amahl” will play well in the relatively small, 172-seat Gem. Most operas are designed for larger spaces able to handle the form’s natural grandeur, but Quick noted that “Amahl” was originally written for TV. The piece premiered on NBC in 1951 and has been rebroadcast several times since.

“Because it was on television, you know right away that it works on a small box,” Quick said. “It was created to be in people’s living rooms. It’s intimate enough for us.”

The Musical Theatre Company has stuck with popular musicals (“A Little Night Music” and “Sweeney Todd,” among others) in the past, but Quick doesn’t see “Amahl” as too much of a leap.

“I get a little annoyed with that ‘opera versus musical’ argument. Many of the musicals these days are very operatic anyway. . . . the challenge really isn’t that different from doing musical theater, you just have to do it well.”

* The Musical Theatre Company’s production of Gian-Carlo Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” previews Friday and Saturday at 8 and opens Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Gem Theatre, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove. The opera continues Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. through Dec. 24. $15-$16 for previews, $20-$26 for the regular run. (714) 741-9550.