BLUE, coming to Seattle Opera for seven performances in February and March 2021, was created by the award-winning team of librettist Tazewell Thompson and composer Jeanine Tesori. This portrait of contemporary African American life joins a young couple as they celebrate the birth of their son and later on as they grieve their son’s death at the hands of a police officer. Learn more at seattleopera.org/blue.

BLUE

Mezzo soprano Briana Hunter makes her Seattle Opera debut as the Mother in BLUE in February 2022. In the aria she sings in the final scene, this Harlem restauranteur brings her community together through the magic of food: 

“Raise a cup of sweet tea and pot liquor 
and sweet potato pie, deep dish peach cobbler, 
banana pudding ringed with wafers, 
golden brown buttermilk biscuits, cast-iron corn bread.
The food of our ancestors, 
putting its arms around us, 
holding, hurling us together.
Survived. Thrived.
On set-asides.
From the banging of the pots 
at morning-time, to the prayer of thanks at night, 
I thank you, God.”

BLUE was composed by Jeanine Tesori to a libretto by Tazewell Thompson. The orchestra of Seattle Opera was conducted by Viswa Subbaraman.

BRIANA HUNTER as The Mother

At the conclusion of BLUE, all ten voices join together in a prayer of thanksgiving:

Heavenly Father, we humbly thank You
for the glorious, abundant bounty
You have placed on the table before us. 
Oh, Provider, through Your Love
may we know each other deeper.
In Your name we pray.
THE REVEREND (solo): 
God, we see You as the Father
Who gave His only son.
How many sons do we have to give 
before You can’t hold one more?

BLUE was composed by Jeanine Tesori to a libretto by Tazewell Thompson. Viswa Subbaraman conducts Briana Hunter, Joshua Stewart, Kenneth Kellogg, Ariana Wehr, Ellaina Lewis, Cheryse McLeod Lewis, Camron Gray, Korland Simmons, Joshua Conyers, and Gordon Hawkins (Reverend) and the orchestra of Seattle Opera.

Prayer from BLUE

Bass Kenneth Kellogg made his Seattle Opera debut in 2021 as the Commendatore in DON GIOVANNI, and returns to sing the Father in BLUE, a role he created at the 2019 world premiere at Glimmerglass Opera. Cuddling his baby, this new dad sings:

“Hello, my son, my baby boy.
You are my son.
You make me cry.
Didn’t want to have you.
Now for you I’d die.
Oh, your mama’s mouth.
Oh, you have my nose. 
You’ve got all your little fingers. 
I’ve counted all your toes. 
I love your seashell ears.
I love your wisp of hair,
your big brown eyes that seem to stare. 

BLUE was composed by Jeanine Tesori to a libretto by Tazewell Thompson. The orchestra of Seattle Opera was conducted by Viswa Subbaraman.

KENNETH KELLOGG As The Father

The beloved Gordon Hawkins returns to Seattle Opera—where he sang for the first time in 1992, Amonasro in AIDA—for yet another powerful performance. In BLUE he sings the role of The Reverend, a character he created at the 2019 world premiere at Glimmerglass Opera. In this passage The Reverend does his best to console the distraught Father, whose son has been killed.

REVEREND 
May restoring waters 
clear the night’s weeping,
bringing you salvation.
Redeem the hours wept clean 
from lost loves and lost lives,
from slaughters and heartaches,
injustices, misunderstandings and fear.
In your hour of need...

FATHER
In my hour of need
I seek no salvation from you.

BLUE was composed by Jeanine Tesori to a libretto by Tazewell Thompson. Viswa Subbaraman conducts Gordon Hawkins and the orchestra of Seattle Opera.

GORDON HAWKINS as The Reverend

Joshua Stewart, exciting young tenor from New Orleans, returns to Seattle Opera in the role of The Son in BLUE. This activist teenager has a tense confrontation with his police officer father at the end of Act One. 

SON
You keepin’ it safe 
for the white man, not for me.

FATHER (repeats his oath)
“I do solemnly swear to uphold 
the Constitution of the United States
and the Constitution of the State of New York,
to faithfully discharge my duties as a police officer
of the New York Police Department
to the best of my abilities.
So help me, God.”

SON
Dressed in a blue clown suit.
White man’s dog, his lackey.
Don’t you know they despise you?
No matter what you do for them,
it’s never enough.
They sure got you fooled!

FATHER
Boy, I am minutes away from your behind!

BLUE was composed by Jeanine Tesori to a libretto by Tazewell Thompson. Viswa Subbaraman conducts Joshua Stewart, Kenneth Kellogg, and the orchestra of Seattle Opera.

JOSHUA STEWART as The Son

In Act 2 of Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Consul,” the magician Nika Magadoff (Alex Mansoori) hypnotizes everyone in the consulate and makes them dance: 
Oh, what a lovely ballroom this is...
the floor shines with precious marble.
Look how the light falls bright and clear 
from twenty crystal chandeliers.
Look at the crimson walls, hung with golden mirrors. 
Ah, listen:  the music has begun.
Ah! How you'd love to dance with your loved one...
But where is he? But where is she?
There, there he is!  He's bowing to you.
Look, there she is...bow to her.
What are you waiting for?
The floor is empty, the music sweet...
the dance is on.
Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Elise Bakketun, photo
Seattle Opera, The Consul, Menotti, Carlo Montanaro, Alex Mansoori


THE CONSUL: ALEX MANSOORI as Nika Magadoff

In Act Two of Gilbert & Sullivan’s THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE the pirates plan to storm Major-General Stanley’s house in the middle of the night, unaware that a crowd of policemen, relentlessly imitating trumpets to embolden themselves, are waiting to ambush and arrest them. After failing to be as quiet as they claim, the pirates sing one of Sullivan’s most beloved tunes—actually, Sullivan’s copyright piracy of Verdi’s “Anvil Chorus” from IL TROVATORE. Francesco Milioto conducted the chorus & orchestra of The Atlanta Opera in Atlanta in 2021. Music provided by The Atlanta Opera Film Studio.

PIRATES: With cat-like tread,
Upon our prey we steal; 
In silence dread,
Our cautious way we feel.
No sound at all,
We never speak a word, 
A fly’s foot-fall
Would be distinctly heard.
POLICE: (Tarantara, tarantara!)
PIRATES: So stealthily the pirate creeps,
While all the household soundly sleeps. 
Come, friends, who plough the sea,
Truce to navigation; 
Take another station;
Let’s vary piracee 
With a little burglaree!

PIRATES: “With cat-like tread”

Join me as I sit down with Emily Cabiness, librarian and archivist for the Seattle Opera. We discuss the art of opera, through both process and product. How does it stay relevant in contemporary life? What kind of collaborative work does it take to put on a production? What does a librarian do for an opera company? How does music help us express the otherwise ineffable? 

A funny, engaging, and emotional chat with a good friend of the show.

(Disclaimer: Emily participated in this discussion outside of her official duties with the Seattle Opera. As such, all of her opinions are her own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Seattle Opera or any affiliated staff or artists!)

For more information about the Seattle Opera, including upcoming shows and events, visit https://www.seattleopera.org/ 

For those interested in listening to Emily’s scene selections further, please see the recorded versions below:

Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro - “Pace Pace Mio Dolce Tesoro” - https://open.spotify.com/track/3EQrqvdRO7VMWSPKSlCdSe

Wager’s The Valkyrie - “War Es So Schmählich”
https://open.spotify.com/track/68CZHU1J4F89quxGwQOQGn

All clips and music used under Creative Commons and Fair Use policies.

Ping: Opera With Emily

Founded in 1963, Seattle Opera is a leading American opera company. The company presents the classics of the European repertoire as well as new works of American opera. Frequent productions of Wagner's RING, beginning in 1975, established the company's worldwide reputation. Seattle Opera usually presents five opera productions each year.

JOSHUA STEWART as The Son

Seattle Opera

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