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)

The post Champion: An Opera in Jazz appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

“When I went to New York, I was sent there by my boss at the San Francisco Opera,” says Heggie. “He pulled me out of the PR department and sent me to meet with Terrence McNally. It was his wish for the millennium to do something celebratory and bubbly. Terrence wasn’t interested at all in that kind of project. He wanted to do a serious American drama. When he told me Dead Man Walking all the hairs stood up and I knew it was the right idea.”

The opera premiered in 2000 as planned in San Francisco. Subsequent productions have taken place in various parts of the United States and also in Australia, Canada and Europe. The production appearing at the Broad Stage is performed by Opera Paralléle.

“I’ve seen it done a few times with smaller ensembles,” Heggie offers. “This is the most spare I’ve seen and somehow because it’s a smaller theatre and pared down you get the human drama more than ever. It feels more visceral. You feel like you are experiencing the story in real time. It can touch your heart in ways that will surprise.”

Sister Prejean recently said when speaking at the University of Dayton that “opera is just a spiritual invitation to go deeper.” Heggie was touched by her comments. “She didn’t know much about opera until her story was turned into one. She has an enormous appreciation for it now. I hope that opera is an invitation to a deeper reflection on something, to reflect on things you hadn’t taken the time to do before. The death penalty is sort of the abstract. When you sit and really reflect on it and see a human drama unfold in front of you, that’s a very different experience.”

As for his own views on the death penalty, Heggie reveals his own journey. “Before I wrote it, I didn’t reflect on it either. I went into it very deeply. I didn’t want to impose my personal feelings at all. My goal is to empathize with every single character and not judge them and get their story out there the best way possible. We are all capable of enormous good and enormous evil. Does repeating the worst behavior of a criminal and putting that onto them solve anything? Does that make us better? Who has all the answers?”

With Sister Prejean as its central character, Heggie believes Dead Man Walking has the right person to ask all these questions. “If you look at most operas, there’s usually an intimate story at the heart of it. Something where the emotions are so big that it makes sense for characters to sing and sing in a way that fills an opera. She’s so real and genuine and she’s walked the walk. She’s gone places most of us can’t imagine going. She has great empathy and sympathy for both sides. She’s a wise remarkable woman.”

Photo by Steve DiBartolomeo

Originally published at LAMag.com on March 4, 2015.

The post Jake Heggie’s Opera “Dead Man Walking” Comes to Santa Monica appeared first on Cultural Attaché.