Terence Blanchard’s six-time Grammy Award–winning composer’s operatic retelling of the dramatic story of gay boxer Emile Griffith arrives in New York. Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green stars as the closeted young hatmaker-turned-prizefighter, who rises from obscurity to become world champion and, in one of the great tragedies in sports history, kills his homophobic archrival in the ring.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads a stellar cast that also features bass-baritone Eric Owens as Griffith’s older self, haunted by the ghosts of his past. Soprano Latonia Moore is Emelda Griffith, the boxer’s estranged mother, alongside mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as bar owner Kathy Hagen.
Prior to the Opera’s opening the LGBTQ+ Center in NY is joining the Metropolitan Opera in hosting a Panel discussion about “champions” . Along with Blanchard will be Athlete Ally and members of the creative team of “Champion” to discuss LGBTQ+ rights and inclusivity in athletics and art.
The discussion will address the difficulties in owning one’s identity and the tribulations faced in coming out through a historical, athletic, and artistic lens. Following the panel, there will be a performance from Ryan Speedo Green as he portrays boxing welterweight Emile Griffith in Terence Blanchard’s “Champion” opening at the Met on April 10.
Labels: 2023, Champion, Emile Griffith, LGBTQ+ center, Metropolitan Opera, opera, Ryan Speedo Green, Terence Blanchard, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
