From TOLEDO OPERA
Toledo Opera will launch its public programming for the opera “Blue” on Feb. 2, at 6:30 p.m. The first of the series is a virtual evening of meaningful dialogue with Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori and NAACP Theatre Award-winning librettist Tazewell Thompson.
The conversation will be moderated by Rhonda Sewell, director of belonging and community engagement at The Toledo Museum of Art. This event will also feature a preview of an episode of Toledo Opera’s documentary film “Blue: Stories from Toledo.”
Participants can ask questions in real time during the event to engage with the moderator and panelists. This program is free and open to the public, and can be accessed via Toledo Opera’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The recording will be immediately available following the live program.
For public registration to the event RSVP to Luke Serrano at lserrano@toledoopera.org.
Originally scheduled for this month, Toledo Opera will stage “Blue” Friday, Aug. 26, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 28, at 2 p.m. Chelsea Tipton, II returns to Toledo to conduct the opera and librettist Tazewell Thompson serves as the stage director.
“Blue” is the story of an African American couple in Harlem who anticipates the birth of their firstborn, a son, with both hope and fear. As the baby grows into a young man, the mother worries for his future, and the father tries to prepare his son for the realities of 21st century America, while wrestling with his own identity as a police officer, a “Black man in blue.”
When their deepest fears come true, the family is forced to navigate a devastating reality seeking answers and support from their church and community.
Influenced by gospel music and using vivid flashbacks, Blue places timely issues at the forefront of modern opera and invites audiences to the emotional epicenter of their impact.
Additional public programming will take place on February, 23, at 6 p.m. and on February 26, at 5 p.m. Details on future programs will be provided in the future.
[RELATED STORY: Toledo Opera postpones production of ‘Blue’ until August]
“Blue” is made possible by Owens Corning, The National Endowment for the Arts, and Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information about Blue, please visit www.toledoopera.org/upcoming-performances/season-event/blue/. For more information on Toledo Opera, visit https://toledoopera.org.
