Composer/musician Terence Blanchard is perhaps best know for the scores he writes for Spike Lee’s movies. He’s also a highly regarded jazz trumpeter. To add to his resume, Blanchard wrote a jazz opera called Champion that had its premiere at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 2013. Starting tonight, SFJAZZ, who co-produced a production of Champion in 2016 with Opera Parallèle, will stream their production of the opera for members.
Blanchard’s opera, written with librettist Michael Cristofer (Pulitzer and Tony Award winner for his play, The Shadow Box), tells the story of a boxer named Emile Griffith who was very successful in the ring. But he harbored a secret, he was bisexual. During the weigh-in and subsequent press conference for a match in 1962 with Benny “Kid” Paret, his opponent called Griffith a “maricón,” slang for a homosexual.
During their match, Griffith pummeled Paret and won the fight. But shortly after the fight was called in the 12th round as a technical knockout for Griffith, Paret fell to the floor. He would be hospitalized and died 10 days later never having regained consciousness. Griffith would be haunted by this fight for the rest of his life .
Champion is told in a series of flashbacks as an elderly Griffith is getting dressed to meet Paret’s son.
Sarah Bryan Miller, writing in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, said of Champion when it first debuted, “Champion may be the single most important world premiere in the 38-year history of Opera Theatre of St. Louis. On Saturday night in the Browning Theatre, Terence Blanchard’s much-heralded ‘opera in jazz’ lived up to the hype, its powerful story and score propelled by a dynamic cast and production.”
For the 2016 production that is being streamed, Arthur Woodley, who originated the role of the older Emile Griffith, returns to the part. Kenneth Kellogg sings the role of the young Emile. Victor Ryan Robertson sings the role of Paret and his son. Andres Ramirez sings the role of Luis Rodrigo Griffith, Emile’s adopted son and caretaker. Karen Slack sings the role of Emile’s mother.
Brian Staufenbiel directed Champion. Nicole Paiment conducts the orchestra which combines a jazz trio with 13 principal orchestra members and a chorus.
Of the 2016 production, Steven Winn, writing for the San Francisco Classical Voice, said, “Fearless, graceful, full of sly musical feints and bravura dramatic feats, Champion – “An Opera in Jazz” scored a resounding triumph on its opening weekend at the SFJAZZ Center. Anyone in doubt about the power of great music theater to reach and move an audience at the deepest levels must see and hear this remarkable hybrid opera…”
Blanchard’s latest opera, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, had its world premiere at Opera Theatre of St. Louis last June. The opera is scheduled to open the Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-2022 season. This will mark the first production of an opera by a Black composer on the Met Opera stage.
Champion will begin streaming at 9:00 PM EDT/6:00 PM PDT on October 21st. It will then be available on demand beginning at 11:30 PM EDT/8:30 PM EDT on the 21st and remain available until October 25th at 11:59 PM PDT.
You must be a member of SFJAZZ to see Champion. Membership is $5/month or $60/annual. Membership also gives you access to their weekly Fridays at Five concerts.
Photo: A scene from Champion: An Opera in Jazz (Photo courtesy SFJAZZ)