JUBILEE
by Tazewell Thompson
Seattle Opera world premiere
McCaw Hall, Seattle Center
Opening weekend (October 12 and 13)
In her last gift to Seattle Opera before leaving as general manager, Christina Scheppelmann has brought a wonderful and uniquely American new work into the repertory. Jubilee tells the story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a choir founded in 1871 to help raise money for Fisk University, the first institution of higher learning established for former slaves after the Civil War.
The opera, created and directed by Tazewell Thompson, is fashioned entirely from the spirituals of faith, hope, and longing that were invented and sung by African Americans during the two and a half centuries of their slavery in America. So many of these great songs, including "Go Down, Moses" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," have become standards of American music that it's easy to forget their origins in the miseries of this historic crime.
The opening weekend audience at Seattle Opera had the joy of hearing these songs anew (in gorgeous vocal arrangements by Dianne Adams McDowell), along with a great many less familiar spirituals, sung by a troupe of superlative singers. The 13 cast members, all Black, represent the original choristers, who in the 1870s traveled the nation and the British Isles to save their bankrupt college. With a cleverly changing set by Donald Eastman, evocative period costumes by Harry Nadal, and historically accurate wigs by Ashlee Naegle, the opera creates a sense of the past with all its limitations and dangers: bad weather, exhaustion, racist attacks.
The young singers struggle from place to place under the leadership of their director George White, played with humor and high drama by Lisa Arrindell: "There are plenty of D's in 'Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel'; I want to hear all of them!" At some point, the demanding rehearsal turns into a concert performance, with the audience taking on the role of the original attendees. It is a magical and moving concept.
Just as magical was the orchestra, led by conductor Kellen Gray in his Seattle Opera debut. Standing on a higher podium for the singers to see him, Gray deployed eloquent gestures to guide the musicians through a veritable catalog of styles. The orchestration by Michael Ellis Ingram covers moods from raucous to dangerous to sublime.
Blended voices and prima donnas
The singers who represent the Jubilees are all accomplished soloists, and bringing them together into a choir of blended voices was a challenge, said Scheppelmann in a post-performance Q&A session. That same challenge faced George White, the original director of the Jubilees: soprano Maggie Porter (played beautifully by Aundi Marie Moore) insisted on standing out as a soloist, and for a time left the Jubilees to perform solo concerts. In the opera, the aforementioned rehearsal is interrupted by Maggie's temper tantrum, and when the stage clears of all but her, the orchestra plays the introduction to Giuseppe Verdi's aria "Pace, pace mio Dio," which Moore sings to perfection. It's another magical moment, in which the diva who has been portrayed as a comic character proves that she was right about her own abilities.
The final scene, which reveals the life course of each original Jubilee member to the strains of "Do Lord, o Do Lord, Do Remember Me," is particularly moving.
Thompson and Sister Benvenuta
Thompson's vision of an opera created from the iconic music of spirituals is fully realized in this production. In a conversation with the audience, he shared his own life story as a the only Black kid in a Dominican Convent School whose music teacher, Sister Benvenuta, introduced him to spirituals, a revelation that changed his life. He described this music as "personally lived storytelling — gut-wrenching, heartfelt, and heartbreaking: themes of pride, fear, faith, courage, loss, renewal, celebration, and community."
It was all that, and more. Fisk University thrives today because of the hardships and prejudices these young singers braved to save their school.
We can be grateful to Scheppelmann, the only opera director who responded positively when Thompson's successful play version of this work was offered to opera directors all over the country for a possible adaptation. Given her leadership and the labor of many talented hands, we now have a new, unique, and exciting opera.
Take advantage of Seattle Opera's audience education programs
As it does for every production, Seattle Opera has provided a variety of educational programs to enhance audience members' enjoyment and understanding of Jubilee. A fascinating panel discussion just before opening night was moderated by the company's artistic ambassador, Kenneth Kellogg, and included Fisk University President Dr. Agenia Walker Clark, current Fisk Jubilee Singers Director Dr. G. Preston Wilson, Jr., and former Jubilee singer Marlette Buchanan. The joy and pride of the panelists and of many audience members who were Fisk alumni were palpable.
Accompanying the discussion was an inspiring presentation by Speak with Purpose, a Seattle nonprofit that teaches public school students to master public speaking. Its goal, in the words of Executive Director Toyia Taylor, is: "Every voice, silent in the back of a classroom, rises to lead at the front!" Two of these students, sixth-grader Salea Milard and eighth-grader Nuwani Jones, spoke with passion and intelligence about the history of Fisk University and the Jubilees. Bravo!
Performances run through October 26. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://seattleopera.org . For information about Speak with Purpose, visit https://speakwithpurpose.org .
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