The Medium
The Medium is a two-act opera with words and music by Gian Carlo Menotti. It was commissioned by Columbia University. Its first performance was there on May 8, 1946. The opera's first professional production was presented on a double bill with Menotti's The Telephone. This occurred at the Heckscher Theater, New York City, on February 18-20, 1947 by the Ballet Society. The Broadway production took place on May 1, 1947, at the Ethel Barrymore Theater with the same cast. In 1951, Menotti directed, with the help of filmmaker Alexander Hammid, a movie version made to resemble film noir. It starred Anna Maria Alberghetti. A live television production starring Marie Powers took place on December 12, 1948 on the TV series Studio One.