Syosset resident Ritayan Chakraborty will play the lead in an upcoming Adelphi production. Adelphi University will be presenting “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” one of the most popular American operas by Gian Carlo Menotti, on December 12.

“Bring your whole family to this Christmas favorite,” said Kali Chen, Adelphi’s media relations director. “It is a timeless story of the power of faith and the meaning of love. Performed by an all-student cast and accompanied by the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra, this production promises to be one of the highlights of the holiday season.”

The lead role of Amahl will be played by 12-year-old Syosset resident Ritayan Chakraborty. Even though this will be his first lead role-and his first experience singing opera-it is his mother Tandra who will likely be the one with sweaty palms that evening.

“Ritayan is not nervous at all,” she said during a recent telephone interview. “The person who is nervous is me.”

Tandra and her husband Sanjoy realize their son has a gift and are very proud of his accomplishments. Ritayan, a student at the Harry B. Thompson Middle School, started singing when he was three years old. He has performed at the Concordia Conservatory Honors Recital, the All-County Music Festival, and the Gujrati Samaj, an Indian Cultural Festival. He is a member of the Choir of Men and Boys at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, and was the winner of the Oyster Bay Talent Competition.

Ritayan also received a perfect score in NYSSMA level 4 and can sing in many languages besides English including Hindi, Bengali and Italian. Since he has always been interested in singing and theater, and Amahl provides a good combination of both, his middle school voice teachers Mrs. Conklin and Mrs. Dolley recommended him for the audition.

The production is directed by Adelphi’s Director of Music Michael Hume and features the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra led by Resident Conductor Salvatore DiVittorio. Jessie Niemiec is the choreographer.

The one-act opera tells the story of Amahl, a poor crippled boy, who lives with his mother in a village somewhere on the road to Bethlehem. When the Three Kings, following the star in the East, seek shelter for the night, the lives of Amahl and his mother are forever changed.

The roles of the mother and the Three Kings will be performed by Hannah Hockett, 12; Taylor Ackley, 12; Robert Damato, 13; and Jeremy Wright, 11.

Commissioned by NBC in 1951, and first performed at Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center, Menotti’s opera has become an annual holiday tradition enjoyed by children and families around the world.

The show will begin at 2 p.m. in the University’s Performing Arts Center (AU PAC). Individual tickets for this event are on sale now at $15 regular admission, $10 for seniors and alumni, and $7 for students. Also available is a family package of four tickets with an invitation to attend a pre-show holiday party with cookies and cider.

To learn more about AU PAC’s 2009-2010 season, visit aupac.adelphi.edu or call the AU PAC Box Office at (516) 877-4000.