Washington National Opera Will Present the D.C. Premiere of Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson's New Opera BLUE

By: Jan. 16, 2020
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Washington National Opera Will Present the D.C. Premiere of Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson's New Opera BLUE

Washington National Opera (WNO) will present the D.C. premiere of Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori and librettist Tazewell Thompson's poignant new opera Blue, March 15-28, 2020, in the Eisenhower Theater. Blue -a WNO co-production-positions one of America's most pressing social issues at the center of the opera stage at the nation's performing arts center.

Inspired by contemporary events and black literature, including Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me and James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, Blue centers on the hopes and fears of a young black couple in Harlem as they raise a son in 21st-century America. In this "powerful" (New York Times) story of love and loss, we see father (a police officer) and mother supported by a loving community of fellow law enforcement, churchgoers, and friends as they navigate the devastating reality of their son being killed by a fellow white police officer in a production that the Financial Times called "very, very strong."

The "wrenching and remarkably original opera" (Wall Street Journal) features rising stars and native Washingtonians Kenneth Kellogg (former WNO Young Artist) and Aaron Crouch leading the cast in the roles of the Father and the Son.

"Our mission to be the nation's opera company is rooted in our commitment to present stories that reflect the America of today," says Francesca Zambello, Artistic Director for the WNO. "Blue is a story of America. Opera is the perfect medium for a story that explores the humanity we find at the intersection of heartache, redemption, and forgiveness."

In preparation for this production, WNO formed a committee comprising local and national partners, the law enforcement community, public policy, the faith community, youth development, social justice, community foundations, art/culture, and other stakeholders to collaborate on events designed to foster dialogue about Blue. Committee participants and partners include: District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, Blacks in Law Enforcement of America, Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Justice Roundtable/ The Taifa Group, Alfred Street Baptist Church, HOPE Center at Carmody Hills, Beacon House, Shout Mouse Press, Teaching for Change, Ben's Chili Bowl Foundation, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Anacostia Community Museum. These talks generated ideas and programs that speaks to the value that WNO places on building a more connected civic fabric through its work at the Kennedy Center, throughout the greater Washington D.C. community, and beyond.

"At Washington National Opera, we believe in 'artistic citizenship,'-that we are both an arts organization and an organization that belongs to the greater Washington community," says Timothy O'Leary, General Director of the WNO. "We are deeply grateful to all the leaders in this community who have provided invaluable perspective and time to make possible a civic conversation project that will surround these performances of Blue."

Blue Performance and Ticket Information

Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. a-? Wednesday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. a-? Monday, March 23 at 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m.

Ticket Information

Tickets start at $35 and are available online, in person at the Kennedy Center Box Office, and by calling (202) 467-4600 or (800) 444-1324. Groups of 10 or more receive discounts up to 25% for Blue purchases. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.



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