The Medium facts for kids
The Medium is a two-act opera (a play where people sing instead of talk) created by Gian Carlo Menotti. He wrote both the story and the music. It was first performed at Columbia University on May 8, 1946, after they asked Menotti to create it.
The first professional show happened in New York City on February 18, 1947. It was shown with another one of Menotti's operas, The Telephone. It later moved to Broadway on May 1, 1947, with the same actors. In 1951, Menotti helped make a movie version of the opera. It was filmed in a dark, mysterious style called film noir and starred Anna Maria Alberghetti. The opera was also shown live on TV on December 12, 1948, as part of the Studio One series.
Contents
Story of the Opera
Act 1: The Medium's Parlor
The story begins in Madame Flora's home. Her daughter, Monica, and Toby, a quiet servant boy, are playing dress-up. They call Madame Flora "Baba." When Baba comes home, she is upset that they haven't prepared for the evening's seance.
Soon, guests arrive for the seance. Mr. and Mrs. Gobineau are regular visitors. Mrs. Nolan is new and hopes to speak with her daughter, who passed away at age sixteen.
During the seance, Madame Flora pretends to be in a trance. Monica hides behind a screen and pretends to be Mrs. Nolan's daughter. Mrs. Nolan believes she is speaking to her child. As Monica moves away, Mrs. Nolan tries to reach her, but the Gobineaus stop her.
Next, Mr. and Mrs. Gobineau "talk" to their two-year-old son, Mickey, who only laughs. After they say goodbye, Madame Flora suddenly gasps. She feels a cold, phantom hand touch her throat. She becomes very scared.
Madame Flora demands that the guests leave. She then tells Monica what she felt, blaming Toby, even though he was in another room. Monica tries to calm Baba by singing a lullaby called "The Black Swan." But Baba hears another voice and becomes even more upset with Toby. The act ends with Monica singing the lullaby again while Baba prays.
Act 2: A Few Days Later
A few days later, Toby is putting on a puppet show for Monica. It's clear they care for each other. When Baba returns, she continues to accuse Toby, sure he knows what happened during the seance.
The guests arrive again, expecting another seance. But Madame Flora tries to convince them that the seances were fake. She reveals all the tricks she and Monica used. However, the guests are not convinced. They leave, believing she was truly communicating with spirits, even if she thought she was cheating them.
After the guests leave, Baba forces Toby to leave, despite Monica's pleas. With everyone gone, and Monica in her room, Baba drinks more. She begins to question if she is losing her mind and eventually passes out.
While Baba is asleep, Toby sneaks back into the house. He tries to get into Monica's room, but it's locked. He then goes to a trunk to find his tambourine. As he searches, he accidentally knocks the lid of the trunk, waking Baba.
Toby quickly hides in the puppet theater. Baba tries to find out where the noise came from. She gets a gun from a drawer. She shouts, "Who is it? Speak or I'll Shoot!" The puppet theater curtain moves. Baba screams and fires the gun several times. Toby's body falls, holding the curtain. Baba says, "I've killed the ghost! I've killed the ghost!" Monica hears the gunshots, enters, sees Toby, and runs for help. As the curtain slowly falls, Baba whispers, "Was it you?"
Musical Highlights
- "Monica's Waltz" (Monica)
- "The Black Swan" (Monica)
- "Afraid, am I afraid?" (Baba)
See also
In Spanish: La médium (ópera) para niños
