Metropolitan Opera season kicks off with 'Fire Shut Up in My Bones,' 1st opera by Black composer
The Metropolitan Opera is back and kicking off its new season with Terence Blanchard's "Fire Shut Up In My Bones."
Blanchard, a six-time Grammy Award-winning Jazz trumpeter and two-time Oscar-nominated film composer, is making history as the first Black composer at the Met with his second opera, which is based on New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow's memoir of the same name.
"It's an overwhelming experience," Blanchard told "Good Morning America." "But I gotta tell you, it's filled with mixed emotions, because I know that I'm the first, but I know that I'm not the first qualified. And that always has to be said. I know I'm standing on some very strong shoulders."
In "Fire Shut Up in My Bones," Blanchard blends rhythms of jazz and gospel with classical opera, calling it "an opera in jazz." Blanchard told "Good Morning America" that the orchestra will include a jazz ensemble with a pianist, bassist, guitarist and drummer, to help tell Blow's story.
"[It's] basically his memoirs about him growing up in Gibsland, Louisiana, where he was molested by a family member," Blanchard said. "Doing this story is a very powerful one for me, because hopefully some people will come and see this story and then know him and his success and understand that you can overcome anything."
Among the team of people bringing Blow's story to life is baritone Will Liverman, who stars in the lead role of Charles.
"Rehearsals have just been so -- I mean, they've really fed my soul, to be honest," Liverman told "Good Morning America." "You know, to be back here not only opening the season, but with so many great Black voices, and telling a Black story."
"The incredible thing about this role -- I mean, I've never had an opportunity to play a living and breathing person. And not only that, you know, someone who I kind of can relate to on a lotta levels, his story is just so powerful and poignant," Liverman added.
Also making history this season is co-director and choreographer Camille A. Brown, the Met's first Black director, who is bringing movement and dance to the stage in a big way.
"She's steeped in the history, technically, sound and has a forward-looking approach to dance and it's all seamless, the imagery is powerful," Blanchard said of Brown.
Now, ahead of the Met's new season, Blanchard hopes "Fire Shut Up In My Bones" recognizes more Black and African American talent in operas.
"I'm like, 'Dude, they've been doing it for a long time,'" he said. "'You're just not coverin' 'em. But they've been doing it for a long time.' So I hope people will take that into account too, the level of talent on that stage is unmatched."
Blanchard added, "We wanna tell these stories. We want people to come and see themselves on the stage. We want people to come and see people they know on the stage. And we wanna open doors for other stories to be told."
