blue

blue

Music by Jeanine Tesori, libretto by Tazewell Thompson  • April 23, 26, 28, 29, & May 1, 2022

Reflective of an all-too-familiar American headline, Blue centers on the hopes and fears of a young Black couple as they raise their son. 

As the boy grows into a young man, he becomes a student artist and activist. His mother worries for his future, while his father tries to prepare him for the harsh realities of 21st-century America. The father also wrestles with his own identity as a police officer, a "Black man in blue", and the friction that causes within the family. 

When their deepest fears come true, the grieving parents must navigate the turbulent waters of loss at the hands of police, while seeking answers and support from their church and community. 

Tony Award®–winning composer Jeanine Tesori and NAACP Theatre Award–winning librettist Tazewell Thompson’s new opera is inspired by contemporary events and Black literature. Exploring race, violence, and reconciliation, Blue places timely issues at the forefront of modern opera and invites audiences to the emotional epicenter of their impact. 

Glenn Lewis conducts. Tazewell Thompson directs, with Cindy C. Oxberry as Associate Director.

Blue was commissioned by The Glimmerglass Festival and premiered in July, 2019.
The scenery and costumes were originally created for a co-production with The Glimmerglass Festival, Washington National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.