Washington National Opera
Blue
Eisenhower Theater
A family and community struggle when a police officer kills a teenager in the D.C. premiere of Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s acclaimed new opera.
Mar. 11 - 25, 2023
Genre
Opera
Runtime
2 hours and 15 minutes plus a 25-minute intermission
Presenting Sponsor
View Digital Program
Photo by Scott Suchman
Music by Jeanine Tesori / Libretto by Tazewell Thompson
In English with Projected English Titles
New Production, Co-Produced with The Glimmerglass Festival and Lyric Opera of Chicago
In Harlem, a couple celebrates the birth of their firstborn—a boy, Black and beautiful. As the mother worries for her son’s future in today’s America, the father wrestles with his role as a police officer, a “Black man in blue.” When the unimaginable happens years later and a white officer kills the son, their deepest fears will come true.
Following its postponement in our 2020–2021 season, WNO presents the long-awaited D.C. premiere of Blue, the “Best New Opera of 2020” (The Music Critics Association of North America). 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, including Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me and James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. Jeanine’s signature genre-blending style captures the grief of a community, the bonds of a family, and the vulnerabilities of protecting a child. By giving voice to the joy and pain of families that are often unheard, Blue places timely issues at the forefront of modern opera and invites audiences to the emotional epicenter of their impact.
Complimentary opening night champagne
Following the opening performance of Blue on March 11, join us for a complimentary champagne toast to celebrate the cast and creative team!
Contribute to our Community Reflection Wall
Following performances of Blue, audiences members are invited to read, write, and share their reflections on the community wall in the lobby of the Eisenhower Theater.
WNO presents "Blue"
A "Blue" Conversation: Let’s Go There: Moving Through + Moving Forward
Katerina Burton, Briana Hunter, Ariana Wehr, and Rehanna Thelwell in Blue. Photo by Scott Suchman.
Kenneth Kellogg and Briana Hunter in Blue. Photo by Scott Suchman.
Kenneth Kellogg and Aaron Crouch in Blue. Photo by Scott Suchman.
The Father (bass)
Kenneth Kellogg
WNO History: Un ballo in Maschera (Count Ribbing), 2010–2011; Così fan tutte (Don Alfonso), 2011–2012; Tosca (Cesare Angelotti), 2011–2012; Werther (Johann), 2011–2012; Anna Bolena (Lord Rochefort), 2012–2013; Don Giovanni (Leporello), 2012–2013; Carmen (Zuniga), 2015–2016; Champion (Young Emile), 2016–2017; Silent Night (Father Palmer), 2018–2019
Past: title roles in Don Giovanni and Hercules; Faust (Mephistopheles); Blue (The Father); La bohème (Colline); Aida (Ramfis); Ariodante (The King); Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Osmin); Die Zauberflöte (Sarastro); Rigoletto (Sparafucile); Das Rheingold (Fasolt)
The Mother (mezzo-soprano)
Briana Hunter
WNO History: Carmen, 2021–2022
Past: Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Ruby/Woman Sinner), Metropolitan Opera; title role in Carmen; Is this America? (Tanya); Blue (The Mother); The Mother of Us All (Constance Fletcher); The Last American Hammer (Dee Dee Reyes); As One (Hannah Before); Porgy and Bess (Annie and Strawberry Woman); Rigoletto (Giovanna); 27 (Gertrude Stein); La traviata (Flora)
The Son (tenor )
Aaron Crouch
WNO History: WNO Debut
Past: title role in Candide at May Festival; La Cenerentola (Don Ramiro); Blue (The Son); La traviata (Giuseppe); Don Giovanni (Don Ottavio); Eugene Onegin (Lensky); La Rondine (Prunier)
The Reverend (baritone)
Joshua Conyers
WNO History: American Opera Initiative (Jason, 75 Miles), 2018–2019; Eugene Onegin (Zaretsky), 2018–2019; La traviata (Giorgio Germont), 2018–2019; The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me (Donkey), 2018–2019; Silent Night (British Major), 2018–2019; American Opera Initative (Uncle Wesley, Night Trip), 2019–2020; Die Zauberflöte (First Priest), 2019–2020
Past: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (cover for Mr. Umeya) and Oscar (cover for Walt Whitman) at Santa Fe Opera; The Factotum (cover for Garby) at Lyric Opera of Chicago; X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (Reginald); Blue (Policeman 3/Male Congregant 3); Pagliacci (Tonio); Roméo et Juliette (Count Capulet); Die Zauberflöte (Sprecher); L’heure espagnole (Ramiro); Ariadne auf Naxos (Musiklehrer); Rigoletto (Monterone)
Girlfriend 1/Congregant 1/Nurse (soprano)
Ariana Wehr
WNO History: American Opera Initiative (Kahua, Better Gods), 2015–2016; Carmen (Frasquita), 2015–2016; Hansel and Gretel (Gretel), 2015–2016; Siegfried (cover for Woodbird), 2015–2016; American Opera Initiative (Ms. Holy, The Dictator’s Wife), 2016–2017; Don Giovanni (Zerlina), 2016–2017; Justice at the Opera with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (soloist), 2016–2017; Le nozze di Figaro (Susanna/ Barbarina), 2016–2017
Past: Così fan tutte (Despina); Hansel and Gretel (Gretel); Carmen (Micaëla); Blue (Girlfriend 1/Nurse/Congregant 1), The Crucible (Abigail Williams), Glimmerglass Festival; Little Women (Amy March); Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Konstanze)
Girlfriend 2/Congregant 2 (soprano)
Katerina Burton
WNO History: American Opera Initiative (Jenny, Las Autenticas; Debbie Leeds, the barren(s)), 2020–2021; Carmen (Micaëla), 2021–2022; Cartography Project, 2021–2022; Elektra (Fifth Maid), 2022–2023; American Opera Initiative (title role, Oshun), 2022–2023
Past: Porgy and Bess, Metropolitan Opera (ensemble); Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Verna/Young Lovely/Evelyn); The Turn of the Screw (Mrs. Grose); Gallantry (Lola Markham); Suor Angelica (Angelica); Die Zauberflöte (Erste Dame)
Girlfriend 3/Congregant 3 (mezzo-soprano)
Rehanna Thelwell
WNO History: American Opera Initiative (Conchetta, Night Trip), 2019–2020; Die Zauberflöte (Third Lady), 2019–2020; American Opera Initiative (Amanda Shroud, the barren(s)), 2020–2021; title role in Carmen, 2021–2022
Past: Oedipus Rex (Jocasta); Rigoletto (Giovanna); Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Ruby); Porgy and Bess (Maria)
Police Officer Buddy 1/Male Congregant 1 (tenor)
Camron Gray
WNO History: WNO Debut
Past: Blue (Policeman 1/Congregant 1), Glimmerglass Festival; Scalia/Ginsburg (Scalia); La bohème (Rodolfo); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tom Snout); Dinner at Eight (Larry Renault); Porgy and Bess (Robbins and Crab Man); Candide (El Gobernador); L’elisir d’amore (Nemorino)
Police Officer Buddy 2/Male Congregant 2 (tenor)
Jonathan Pierce Rhodes
WNO History: The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson (Frank), 2022–2023
Past: The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson (Frank); Carmen (cover for Le Remendado); Holy Ground (Cherubiel); Turandot (cover for Pong); Der Kaiser von Atlantis (Der Harlekin); Don Giovanni (cover for Don Ottavio)
Police Officer Buddy 3/Male Congregant 3 (bass-baritone)
Christian Simmons
WNO History: Carmen (Zuniga), 2021–2022; Come Home: A Celebration of Return (soloist), 2021–2022; American Opera Initiative (Olodumare, Oshun), 2022–2023
Past: The Devil and Daniel Webster (Jabez Stone); The Wiz (Lion); Romeo et Juliette (Duke); Le nozze di Figaro (title role); L’incoronazione di Poppea (Seneca); Aida (King); Rigoletto (Sparafucile); La finta giardiniera (Nardo)
Composer
Jeanine Tesori
WNO History: The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me, 2018, 2013
Past: Blue, Blizzard on Marblehead Neck (Glimmerglass Festival); Fun Home, Violet, and Shrek The Musical (Broadway); Caroline, or Change (Broadway revival)
Librettist and Director
Tazewell Thompson
WNO History: director, Appomattox, 2015–2016; Lost in the Stars, 2015–2016
Past: Thompson is a director for opera and theater, playwright, librettist, teacher, and actor; select opera directing credits include Dialogues des Carmélites, Death in Venice, Xerxes, Carmen, Don Giovanni, The Tender Land, Street Scene, Porgy and Bess, Les pêcheurs de perles, Norma, Margaret Garner, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Patience, and Freedom Ride
Conductor
Joseph Young
WNO History: WNO Debut
Past: Young’s roles include music director of the Berkeley Symphony, artistic director of ensembles for the Peabody Conservatory, and resident conductor of the National Youth Orchestra–USA at Carnegie Hall. He has conducted orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony, Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, New World Symphony, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música (Portugal), and the Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro de RTVE (Spain).
Conductor
Jonathan Taylor Rush
WNO: WNO Debut
Past: Rush has held roles of assistant conductor, associate conductor, and music director with orchestras including the Baltimore Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, and Buckeye Philharmonic Orchestra; he has conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of New York, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and the Nairobi Philharmonic Orchestra.
Set Designer
Donald Eastman
WNO History: Appomattox, 2015–2016; The Coronation of Poppea, 1986–1987
Past: Carmen (Virgina Opera); Tolomeo (Glimmerglass Festival); Margaret Garner (New York City Opera); Cendrillon (Juilliard); The Blue Viola (UrbanArias); and Don Quichotte (Canadian Opera Company); M. Butterfly, The Heidi Chronicles, Black No More, Mary T & Lizzy K, and Constant Star (Arena Stage)
Costume Designer
Jessica Jahn
WNO History: Dead Man Walking, 2016–2017; The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, 2022–2023
Past: Life Is A Dream (Santa Fe Opera); Mosè in Egitto (New York City Opera); The Crucible (Glimmerglass Festival); West Side Story (Lyric Opera of Chicago); The Manchurian Candidate (Minnesota Opera); Amahl and the Night Visitors (On Site Opera); Moby Dick (Utah Opera); Snowy Day (Houston Grand Opera); Castor and Patience (Cincinnati Opera); Norma (Gran Teatre de Liceu, Canadian Opera Company)
Lighting Designer
Robert Wierzel
WNO History: El gato montés, 1996–1997; La finta giardiniera, 1996–1997; A Streetcar Named Desire, 2003–2004; Ariadne auf Naxos, 2009–2010; Appomattox, 2015–2016; Carmen, 2015–2016; Lost in the Stars, 2015–2016; Silent Night, 2018–2019; Don Giovanni, 2019–2020; Samson and Delilah, 2019–2020
Past: Wierzel has worked on productions with the opera companies of Paris-Garnier (Les Indes Galantes); Tokyo (Opera Chushingura); Toronto; Wexford, Ireland; Kristiansand and Bergen, Norway; Folk Opera, Sweden; Dutch National; New York City Opera; Glimmerglass Festival (30 seasons); Atlanta; Seattle; Boston Lyric; Minnesota; Philadelphia, San Francisco; Houston; Chicago Lyric; Chicago Opera Theater; Montreal; Vancouver; Florida Grand; Portland; Colorado; Pittsburgh; Wolf Trap; San Diego; Virginia; Lyric Opera of Kansas City; and Gotham Chamber Opera.
Delve deeper as you take a peek inside the composer’s mind, behind the scenes of planning a production, and into the history and social context of the opera.
Free with a Blue ticket, starting 1 hour before the performance and lasting 25–30 minutes:
Mar 11: Francesca Zambello and Tazewell Thompson
Mar. 13: Francesca Zambello
Mar. 17, 19, 22 & 25: Jonathan Rush
Don’t miss your opportunity to engage directly with our artists and share your thoughts on the experience you just had! Here’s your chance to ask questions and get the inside scoop on the production from members of the cast and creative team.
Free with a Blue ticket, beginning immediately after the performance:
Mar. 13: Timothy O’Leary and Jonathan Rush
Mar. 17 & 19: Timothy O’Leary and Nkechi Taifa
Mar. 22 & 25: Timothy O’Leary and Dr. Joanne Frederick
Leaning on the impactful partnerships that have been developed through the work of Blue’s Community Advisory Committee, the opera’s creators, casts, and local guests will tour the greater D.C. community to share excerpts and engage in conversation around the topics of Blue. WNO sees the relationships built through Blue as an important part its goals of artistic citizenship, and will continue to develop those relationships once the opera has closed.
Blue Digital Learning Materials
Thu., Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. – Free Event
Get a sneak peek of WNO’s exciting spring productions at this special free preview event at Alfred Street Baptist Church.
Justice Forum
Sat., Mar. 18 at 1 p.m. – Free Event
Explore the themes of Blue through a special panel discussion, film, and performance.
See the making of Washington National Opera's Blue, a contemporary opera on racial injustice in the US today, with a libretto by Tazewell Thompson set to music by Jeanine Tesori.
This short documentary produced by Nsoroma Films includes exclusive rehearsal clips and behind-the-scenes footage.
See the making of Washington National Opera's Blue, a contemporary opera on racial injustice in the US today, with a libretto by Tazewell Thompson set to music by Jeanine Tesori.
This short documentary produced by Nsoroma Films includes exclusive rehearsal clips and behind-the-scenes footage.
Subscribing to a Kennedy Center WNO package provides you with the Best Seats, Maximum Flexibility, and Exclusive Savings!
Group of 20 or more? Group Sales offers special terms and discounts for most performances.
Official Airline of the WNO Season
Major support for the Opening Night of "Blue" generously provided by Robert and Lynn Downing, This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Lugano , Support for Briana Hunter generously provided by Jean and Gene Stark, Opening Night support for Kenneth Kellogg generously provided by Diane E. Tachmindji
Help build a rich legacy on the values of artistic excellence, engagement with a broad community, and a thriving future for the art form of opera and its audiences.
All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.
All ticket prices are subject to change based on demand. Purchase early to lock in prices and the best seats!
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