Today : world première of 'Blue' by Jeanine Tesori in Cooperstown

Today, the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, NY, presents the world première of Blue, an opera composed by Jeanine Tesori with a libretto by Tazewell Thompson.

(c) Rodolfo Martinez

It is the composer's third opera after A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck (Copperstown, July 21, 2011) and The Lion, the Unicorn and Me (Wahsington, December 14, 2013).

An African American couple in Harlem 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. (reproduced from the Lyric Opera of Chicago website)

The cast includes bass Kenneth Kellogg (The Father), mezzo Briana Hunter (The Mother), tenor Aaron Crouch (The Son) and baritone Gordon Hawkins (The Reverend). John DeMain conducts the orchestra. Tazewell Thompson directs.

The performance should last about 2 hours and 45 minutes. The opera will subsequently be performed in Washington, DC (Eisenhower Theater), starting on March 15, 2020 and in Chicago, starting on June 19, 2020.

Today : world première of 'Robin Hood' by Ben Moore in Cooperstown (NY)

Today, the Glimmerglass Festival presents the world première of Ben Moore's Robin Hood, with a libretto by Kelley Rourke.

It is the composer's second opera after Enemies, a Love Story, after Isaac Bashevis Singers (Palm Beach Opera, February 2015).

When the law of the land is corrupt, what’s an honest citizen to do? In the absence of the King, the Sheriff has seized the country’s assets for himself. Robin Hood is the leader of a band of ordinary folks who flee to the forest and attempt to create a new kind of society. Through a series of adventures—triumphant, comic, dangerous, romantic—Robin learns to follow the voice of his heart. (reproduced from the the Festival website)

The cast includes bass baritone Zachary Owens (Sheriff), mezzo Kayleigh Decker (Scarlet) and several youth roles. David Moody conducts and Francesca Zambello directs. The performance should last about 1 hour. The venue is the Cooperstown Theatre Festival.

Composers Frank Schwemmer  (Berlin, November 2008) and Jukka Linkola (Helsinki, January 2011) have already composed operas on the same story.