Blue

Feb. 26-Mar. 12, 2022

"[Tesori's] Music speaks directly to the heart."
–Opera News

Overview

Powerful. One of the best librettos I’ve heard in a long while.”

–The New York Times

But here we are now: art imitating life, life imitating art. Unfortunately, the themes in “Blue” have no expiration date.”

–Tazewell Thompson

Music by Jeanine Tesori; Libretto by Tazewell Thompson

The 2020 winner for Best New Opera (Music Critics Association) arrives at the McCaw Hall stage in February 2022. From the award-winning team of librettist Tazewell Thompson and composer Jeanine Tesori comes Blue, a portrait of contemporary African American life: of love and loss, church, sisterhood, and most importantly, family. A young couple celebrates the joy of family with the birth of their son. And, later leans on their close-knit community in the aftermath of his death at the hands of a police officer.

Performance Information

McCaw Hall (Proof of vaccination required for entry.)

Evening performances at 7:30 PM. Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM

In English with English Subtitles

Performance Time: 2 hour and 30 minutes.

Audio Described Performance: Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 2:00 PM

Learn more about Blue

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Movie-style Rating: PG-13

Content Advisory

Trailer

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COVID Safety

The safety of our artists, staff, and you, our audience members, are our first priority.

Proof of vaccination is required at the door for all McCaw Hall events even after the state requirement is lifted on March 1, 2022. Children under 12 and people with a medical condition or closely held religious belief that prevents vaccination must provide proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test. In addition, masks will be required at all Seattle Opera performances next season regardless of vaccination status. Read our safety page for specific details on these policies.

Safety Protocols

Reviews

Tazewell Thompson put his everything into this opera. What an amazing show all around.”

—TraeAnna Holiday, Converge Media

A life changing experience with soul and heart wrenching emotion. A perfect opera.”

—@m.schradi via Instagram

Blue is remarkable. […] The experience was not what we were expecting for the opera—totally the opposite. What was most awesome about it all was seeing the Black performers shine in all their roles.”

—Anthony and Marlie Love, Traveling While Black in Seattle

An amazing, raw and immediate opera with brilliant and powerful performances by the entire cast. Go see this!”

—@cdmilton via Instagram

This was phenomenal 👏 🙌 I loved it”

—Dametra B. via Facebook

Seattle Opera’s staging gives Blue‘s story exactly the presentation it demands: engrossing, challenging, and beautiful.”

—Chase Anderson, NWTheatre

Cast

Briana Hunter

The Mother

Soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: The Mother, Blue

Hometown: Malvern, PA
Seattle Opera Debut
Engagements: Carmen, Carmen (Opera Idaho); Prince Orlovsky, Die Fledermaus (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis);Flora, La traviata (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); Pvt. Stanton, An American Soldier (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); The Mother, Blue (Glimmerglass Opera and Pittsburg Opera); Dolores “Dee Dee” Reyes, The Last American Hammer (UrbanArias)

Last Updated: January 2022

Briana Hunter

The Mother

Seattle Opera Debut
Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Kenneth Kellogg

The Father

Bass
At Seattle Opera in 2023/24: Malcolm X, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

Hometown: Richmond, CA
Seattle Opera Debut: Commendatore, Don Giovanni (’21)
Previously at Seattle Opera: The Father, Blue (’22); Fafner, Das Rheingold ('23)
Engagements: Don Basilio, The Barber of Seville (San Francisco Opera); Raimondo, Lucia di Lammermoor (Madison Opera); Rocco, Fidelio (North Carolina Opera); Grand Inquisitor/Philip II (cover), Don Carlo (Maryland Lyric Opera); Falstaff, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Pocket Opera); Logger Bulrusher (West Edge Opera)

Last Updated: November 2023

Kenneth Kellogg

The Father

Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Joshua Stewart

The Son

Tenor
At Seattle Opera in 2023/24: Elijah/Street, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Seattle Opera Debut: Charlie Parker, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (’20)
Previously at Seattle Opera: The Son, Blue (’22)
Engagements: Albert Herring, Albert Herring (The Princeton Festival); Rodolfo, La bohème (Columbus Symphony); Valcour, L’Amant anonyme (Theater St. Gallen); Tenor Soloist, A Child of our Time (BBC Symphony Orchestra); Jonas, The Time of our Singing (Theater St. Gallen); Pelegrin, New Year (Birmingham Opera Company)

Last Updated: November 2023

Joshua Stewart

The Son

Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Gordon Hawkins

The Reverend

Baritone
At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: The Reverend, Blue

Hometown: Washington, DC
Seattle Opera Debut: Amonasro, Aida (’92)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Amonasro, Aida (’18); Nabucco, Nabucco (’15); Porgy, Porgy and Bess (’11)
Engagements: Amonasro, Aida (Washington National Opera); Alberich, The Ring (Washington National Opera); Warden, Dead Man Walking (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Scarpia, Tosca (Portland Opera)

Last Updated: January 2022

Gordon Hawkins

The Reverend

Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Ariana Wehr

Nurse/Girlfriend 1/Congregant 1

Soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: First Lady, The Magic Flute

Hometown: Batesville, IN
Seattle Opera Debut: Eurydice, Orpheus and Eurydice (’22)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Nurse/Girlfriend 1/Congregant 1, Blue ('22)
Engagements: Nurse/Girlfriend 1/Congregant, Blue (Pittsburgh Opera and The Glimmerglass Festival); Abigail Williams, The Crucible (Glimmerglass Festival); Despina, Così fan tutte (Opera in the Heights); Micaëla, Carmen (Opera Louisiane); Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro (Washington National Opera); Gretel, Hansel and Gretel (Washington National Opera and Brava! Opera Theatre)

Last Updated: August 2024

Ariana Wehr

Nurse/Girlfriend 1/Congregant 1

Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Ellaina Lewis

Girlfriend 2/Congregant 2

Soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2023/24: Ensemble, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

Hometown: Washington, DC
Seattle Opera Debut: Strawberry Woman, Porgy and Bess (’18)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Chorus Member, La traviata (’23); Recitalist, From His Heart’s Deep Core (’23); Girlfriend 2/Congregant 2, Blue (‘22);Chorus Member, La bohème (’21);Shepherd Boy, Tosca (’21);Chorus Member, Eugene Onegin (’20)
Engagements: Soloist, Mass No. 2 in G Major by Franz Schubert (Seattle Choral Company); Soloist, Cassandra by William C. White (Harmonia Orchestra & Chorus)

Last Updated: November 2023

Ellaina Lewis

Girlfriend 2/Congregant 2

Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Cheryse McLeod Lewis

Girlfriend 3/Congregant 3

Mezzo-Soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: Girlfriend 3/Congregant 3, Blue

Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Seattle Opera Debut: Annie, Porgy and Bess (’18)
Seattle Opera Chorus Member since 2015
Engagements: Bess and Ensemble Swing, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (1^st National Broadway Tour); Cinderella’s Stepmother, Into the Woods (Village Theatre); Ensemble, Beauty and the Beast (5^th Avenue Theatre); Prince Orlofsky, Die Fledermaus (Vashon Opera); Mother, Omar (Spoleto Festival USA)

Last updated: January 2022

Cheryse McLeod Lewis

Girlfriend 3/Congregant 3

Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Camron Gray

Policeman 1/Congregant 1

Tenor
At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: Policeman 1/Congregant 1, Blue

Hometown: Winchester, TN
Seattle Opera Debut
Engagements: Aeneas, Dido and Aeneas (University of Alabama, Huntsville); Policeman/Congregant 1, Blue (Michigan Opera Theatre); Justice Scalia, Scalia/Ginsburg (Opera Naples); Nemorino, The Elixir of Love (Opera Huntsville)

Last Updated: January 2022

Camron Gray

Policeman 1/Congregant 1

Seattle Opera Debut
Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Korland Simmons

Policeman 2/Congregant 2

Tenor
At Seattle Opera 2021/22: Policeman 2/Congregant 2, Blue

Hometown: Little Rock, AR
Seattle Opera Debut
Seattle Opera Chorus Member since 2018
Recently: Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni (Opera Bend); Frantz, Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Pacific Northwest Opera); Don Basilio/Don Curzio, Le Nozze di Figaro (Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble)

Last Updated: July 2021

Korland Simmons

Policeman 2/Congregant 2

Seattle Opera Debut
Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Joshua Conyers

Policeman 3/Congregant 3

Baritone
At Seattle Opera in 2023/24: Reginald, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

Hometown: Bronx, NY, United States
Seattle Opera Debut: Policeman 3/Congregant 3, Blue (’22)
Engagements: Reginald, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (Detroit Opera and Opera Omaha); Reginald (cover), X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (The Metropolitan Opera); Policeman 3/Congregant 3, Blue (English National Opera); Iago, Otello (Vashon Opera); Bass soloist, Messiah (New York Philharmonic); Bass soloist, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (Chattanooga Symphony)

Last Updated: November 2023

Joshua Conyers

Policeman 3/Congregant 3

Seattle Opera Debut
Feb 26 & 27m
Mar. 2, 5, 9, 11, 12

Creative Team

Jeanine Tesori

Composer

At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: Composer, Blue

Hometown: New York, NY
Seattle Opera Debut
Jeanine Tesori is a composer of musical theater, opera, television and film. She won the Tony Award for Best Score (with bookwriter & lyricist Lisa Kron) for the musical Fun Home. Her other musicals include Caroline, or Change (with Tony Kushner), Shrek the Musical (with David Lindsay-Abaire), Thoroughly Modern Millie (with Dick Scanlan), Violet (with Brian Crawley), Kimberly Akimbo (with Lindsay-Abaire) and Soft Power (with David Henry Hwang), which was her second work after Fun Home to be a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Along with Missy Mazzoli, she is one of the first women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. Her operas include A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck (Tony Kushner, libretto), Blue (Tazewell Thompson, libretto) which received the MCANA Award for Best New Opera, and the upcoming Grounded (George Brant, libretto) at the Met. In addition to her work as a composer, Tesori is the Founding Artistic Director of New York City Center’s Encores! Off-Center series, Supervising Vocal Producer of Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, and lecturer in music at Yale University.

Last Updated: January 2022

Jeanine Tesori

Composer

Seattle Opera Debut

Tazewell Thompson

Librettist and Stage Director

At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Creator and Director, Jubilee

Hometown: Harlem, NY
Seattle Opera Debut: Stage Director, Blue ('22)
Engagements: Librettist and Director, The March to Liberation (NY Philharmonic); Ghostlight (The New York Times); Blue (Lyric Opera of Chicago)

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, Washington Post: Best in Classical Music 2019, and The Guardian 2023. He has over 150 directing credits in opera houses and theaters in the US, France, Spain, Italy, Africa, Japan, Netherlands, and Canada. EMMY Nominations for Best Director and Best Classical Production for Porgy and Bess Live from Lincoln Center. Blue productions include: Glimmerglass Festival, Washington National Opera, Pittsburg Opera, Toledo Opera, Michigan Opera, New Orleans Opera, English National Opera, and Dutch National Opera.

Last Updated: July 2024

Tazewell Thompson

Librettist and Stage Director

Seattle Opera Debut

Viswa Subbaraman

Conductor

Conductor
At Seattle Opera in 2022/23: Conductor, A Thousand Splendid Suns

Hometown: Big Spring, TX
Seattle Opera Debut: Flight (’21)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Blue (’22)
Engagements: We Shall Not Be Moved (Opera Philadelphia, Dutch National Opera); Voir Dire (Fort Worth Opera)

Last updated: January 2022

Viswa Subbaraman

Conductor

Anderson Nunnelley

Associate Stage Director

At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Director, Les Troyens in Concert

Hometown: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Seattle Opera Debut: Assistant Director, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (’20)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Associate Stage Director, A Thousand Splendid Suns ('23); Assistant Director, Blue (’22); Artistic Administration Intern (’12–13)
Recent Engagements: Assistant Director, Lucia Di Lammermore (LA Opera); Assistant Director, Falstaff, and The Lord of Cries (Santa Fe Opera); Associate Producer, Svadba (Boston Lyric Opera & Opera Philadelphia); Associate Producer, Solider Song (Opera Philadelphia)
Upcoming Engagements: Assistant Director, Pelleas (Santa Fe Opera)

Last Updated: April 2024

Anderson Nunnelley

Associate Stage Director

Donald Eastman

Set Designer

At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Set Designer, Jubilee

Hometown: Houston, TX
Seattle Opera Debut: Falstaff (’10)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Blue ('22); Don Quichotte (’11); Designer, Young Artists Program productions (’06–’12)
Engagements: Set Designer, Blue (Washington National Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera); Evelyn Brown (Princeton University, La MaMa ETC); The Rakes Progress (Opera Omaha)

Last updated: February 2024

Donald Eastman

Set Designer

Jessica Jahn

Costume Designer

At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: Blue

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: Mary Stewart (’16)
Recently: The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson (Glimmerglass Festival); Fidelio (San Francisco Opera); The Snowy Day (Houston Grand Opera)
Upcoming: La bohème (Michigan Opera Theatre); The Magic Flute (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); Castor and Patience (Cincinnati Opera)

Last updated: November 2021

Jessica Jahn

Costume Designer

Robert Wierzel

Original Lighting Designer

Lighting Designer
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Lighting Designer, Jubilee

Hometown: Branford, CT
Seattle Opera Debut: Turn of the Screw ('94)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Blue ('22); Don Giovanni (’21); Eugene Onegin (’20); Semele (’15); Ariadne auf Naxos (’15); La bohème (’13), Lucia di Lammermoor (’10); Aida (’08)
Engagements: Still/Here (Brooklyn Academy of Music); Blue & The Marriage of Figaro (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Siegfried (The Atlanta Opera); The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Washington National Opera); Leopoldstadt (The Huntington & Shakespeare Theatre Company); Rigoletto (LA Opera)

Last Updated: June 2024

Robert Wierzel

Original Lighting Designer

Eric Norbury

Lighting Designer

At Seattle Opera in 2021/22: Lighting Designer, Blue

Hometown: New York, NY
Seattle Opera Debut
Engagements: Lighting Designer, Only Human (Theatre at St. Clement’s, NYC); Till (Signature Theatre, NYC); A Grand Panorama (LaMaMa, NYC); Associate Lighting Designer, Untitled DanceShowPartyThing (Virgin Voyages)

Last updated: January 2022

Eric Norbury

Lighting Designer

Seattle Opera Debut

Orchestra

Violin I
Noah Geller, Concertmaster
Arthur Zadinsky, Asst. Concertmaster
Eugene Bazhanov
Kelly Farris
Caitlin Kelley
Heewon Park

Violin II
Kathleen Boyer, Principal
Gennady Filimonov, Asst. Principal
Brittany Breeden
Xiao-po Fei
Libby Phelps

Viola
Mara Gearman, Principal
Daniel Stone, Asst. Principal
Sayaka Kokubo
Allison Farkas

Cello
David Sabee, Principal
Vivian Gu, Asst. Principal
Charles Jacot

Bass
rdan Anderson, Principal
Will Langlie-Miletich, Asst. Principal
Todd Larsen

Flute/Piccolo
Jeffrey Barker, Principal

Oboe/English Horn
Mary Lynch VanderKolk, Principal

Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Eric Jacobs, Principal

Bassoon/Contrabassoon
Luke Fieweger, Principal

Horn
John Turman, Principal

Trumpet
Christopher Stingle, Principal

Trombone
David Krosschell, Principal

Percussion
Matthew Decker, Principal
Rob Tucker

Harp
Valerie Muzzolini, Principal

Piano/Celeste
David McDade, Principal

Personnel Manager
Liz Kane

Assistant Personnel Manager
Keith Higgins

The Orchestra is composed of members of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

Photos & Videos

Listen to the Music

Events

A Chat with the Cast of Blue

Recorded February 10th, 2022
At Tagney Jones Hall
Watch this conversation featuring the lead cast members of Blue as they discuss their artistic relationship with this new American opera. The talk was moderated by Classical KING FM's Artist- and Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Quinton Morris.

Watch Now

Becoming Blue: A Talk with Tazewell Thompson

Recorded February 25 at 7:00 PM
At Tagney Jones Hall
Watch this in-depth conversation with Librettist and stage director Tazewell Thompson and Seattle Opera's Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Naomi André about the creative journey behind Blue.

Watch Now

Articles

What Blue Means to Me

The cast members of our upcoming production of Blue share the impact that performing this poignant new opera has had on their lives, both personally and professionally.

A Conversation with Jeanine Tesori

The Composer of Blue

In this Seattle Opera interview, Tesori recounts the legacy of her grandfather, her approach to composing, and collaborating with Blue librettist Tazewell Thompson.

A Conversation with Tazewell Thompson

In a conversation with Seattle Opera, librettist and stage director Tazewell Thompson talks about the characters he created in Blue, Tazewell’s childhood, and how he came to love opera—especially operas about nuns.

A Conversation with Kenneth Kellogg

This summer, Seattle Opera connected with Kenneth Kellogg to talk about a wide range of topics, among them the state of Black opera, his childhood, and, of course his upcoming performance in Blue where he sings the role of The Father.

My Journey to Writing an Opera About Police Violence

When the opera “Blue” had its premiere at the Glimmerglass Festival, Anthony Tommasini wrote in The New York Times that it featured “one of the most elegant librettos I’ve heard in a long time.” Its author was the playwright and director Tazewell Thompson, who wrote the story about a black family that is torn apart when their son is killed by a police officer.

Season Sponsor

Seattle Opera Foundation

Young Singers Season Sponsor

Maureen and Richard Swanson

Production Sponsors

Tagney Jones Family Fund at Seattle Foundation
City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Performance SPONSORS

The Boeing Company - Saturday March 5th Evening

Artist SPONSORS

Dorothy and Willie Aikens and Jay and Susanne Wakefield—Tazewell Thompson
Carolyn Corvi and John Bates—Gordon Hawkins
Jeff and Martha Sherman—Briana Hunter

Community Partners

KNKX logo

NAAM logo

Blue Synopsis

The Mother calls her Girlfriends together to her apartment in Harlem to tell them she is expecting a child. Their joy turns to concern when she tells them she is carrying a boy; they warn her that her son will not be welcomed in this country.

Read the full Synopsis

Praise for Blue

Press from the Glimmerglass Festival Premiere of Blue.

The libretto by Tazewell Thompson, who also directed the production, is American verismo: raw in its directness, devastating in its honesty.”

–Classical Voice North America

(Tesori's) music speaks directly to the heart.”

–Opera News

21/22 Season

La bohème
Orpheus and Eurydice
Blue
Lawrence Brownlee in Concert
The Marriage of Figaro

Explore the Season