FIRST LOOK & LISTEN • Seattle Opera’s Jubilee
Lisa Arrindell (Ella Sheppard) and conductor Kellen Gray in rehearsal for Jubilee at Seattle Opera / All photos by Sunny Martini
FIRST LOOK
Seattle Opera’s World Premiere Opera
Jubilee
McCaw Hall • October 12–26, 2024
SEATTLE, WA – October 1, 2024 – This month, Seattle Opera audiences will experience the world premiere of Jubilee. Set just after Emancipation, the opera follows the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a group of young musicians who brought African American spirituals to audiences around the world, forever changing the trajectory of music history. Created by visionary writer and director Tazewell Thompson, the score includes more than 40 spirituals, from “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Wade in the Water” to “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” and “Balm in Gilead.”
“The Jubilees introduced spirituals to the world, and their fundraising concerts were directly responsible for the survival of one of America’s earliest Black universities,” said Thompson, who began studying and collecting spirituals over 30 years ago. “The Jubilees put their lives on the line quite literally, going without food, freezing in the winter, suffering from illness and violent hostility on a punishing tour schedule – because they knew that education was the path to real power and lasting freedom.”
Thanks to the resilience and dedication of these young musicians, Fisk University still exists today, having offered education and empowerment to generations of Black Americans, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, John Lewis, Nikki Giovanni, and Roland Hayes. Such iconic names are known now, in part, because the Jubilees’ success helped challenge prevailing racial stereotypes and shift perceptions about Black culture and talent. Their performances also showed the world that spirituals were a legitimate art form, deserving of the same level of artistic excellence as European classical music.
“Every student at Fisk University learns the history of their school – they are taught that each brick was sung into existence,” said Lisa Arrindell, who plays the pivotal role of Ella Sheppard, the group’s de facto leader. “But elsewhere in our America, the Jubilees’ story has been left in the dark.”
The cast of Jubilee in a staging rehearsal at Seattle Opera
Creator and director Tazewell Thompson works with the cast of Jubilee
Martin Luther Clark (Frederick Loudin)
Conductor Kellen Gray
Hannah Jones (Jennie Jackson) and Aubrey Allicock (Thomas Rutling)
Creator and director Tazewell Thompson works with the cast of Jubilee
Conceived and directed by Thompson, Jubilee features vocal arrangements by Dianne Adams McDowell and orchestration by Michael Ellis Ingram, under the baton of conductor Kellen Gray. Tickets start at $35; run time is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission. More info at seattleopera.org/jubilee.
About Tazewell Thompson
Tazewell Thompson is the 2020 Music Critics Association of North America award recipient with Jeanine Tesori for Best New Opera in North America for Blue; The New York Times and Washington Post: Best in Classical Music in 2019 for Blue. The Guardian: Best in Classical Music 2023 for Blue. He received EMMY Award nominations for Best Direction and Best Classical Production for Porgy and Bess Live from Lincoln Center.
About Seattle Opera
Established in 1963, Seattle Opera is committed to serving the people of the Pacific Northwest through music, storytelling, and programs for people of all ages. Each year, more than 50,000 people attend the company's performances, and more than 100,000 people are served through school performances, radio broadcasts, and more.
Press Contact: Beth Stewart
Verismo Communications
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