Premiered in 1951, Amahl and the Night Visitors was the first opera to be composed specifically for television, although Gian Carlo Menotti admitted that he had conceived it for the stage. The enchanting story tells of Amahl, a disabled boy who befriends the Magi when they stop at his house on their journey to see the newborn Jesus. Amahl decides to give Jesus his crutch, whereupon his leg is miraculously healed. This new Viennese production, which has long been a popular Christmas play and is sung in German, takes a bold look at the story and finds that its key elements are imagination, empathy and the enduring power of love.