*Omar, the opera by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels opened October 22, 2022, at the opulent Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
The Los Angeles theatre circuit and opera aficionados welcomed the rise of the curtains for the opera conducted by Kazem Abdullah, who makes his company debut with this new and stellar production.
Somehow the 1831 slave narrative of Omar Ibn Said has survived as the only autobiography written in Arabic. Taking this story and telling it from an operatic perspective has given it the majestic reverence that it truly deserves.
In 1807, a 37-year-old scholar living in West Africa was captured and forced aboard a ship bound for South Carolina. Omar Ibn Said’s life and Muslim faith are remembered and retold in this inspirational opera inspired by his remarkable 1831 autobiography, written in Arabic while he was enslaved.
OTHER NEWS ON EURWEB: Squatters Boldly Take Over Maryland Home on Same Day Couple Buys it | WATCH
As with any opera, Omar delivers riveting baritones, piercing tenors, audacious altos and spritely mezzo-sopranos. Omar is directed by Kaneza Schaal and stars Jamez McCorkle in the title role. He and the gifted cast melodiously transport the story from one spectacular scene to another.
Follow Omar’s princely journey from Africa into bondage across the middle passages and onto the insidious slave trading blocks in America. The mesmerizing set and lighting design by Amy Rubin and Pablo Santiago morphs from haunting wind to chilly darkness to scrolls of toil and strife, providing a two-dimensional proscenium as Omar performs evidence and echoes of his resilient faith.
Kudos to designer Christopher Myers and the entire crew. Omar is a theatrical masterpiece and ingenious coupling of composition, musical execution, visual dynamics, directing, choreography and theatrical artistry in all of its grandeur.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: No Goodwill for Ye – Thrift Store Will Remove and no Longer Accept Yeezy Products | WATCH
Christopher Koelsch, LA Opera’s president and CEO describes the production of Omar as: “A truly imaginative artistic vision for this powerful and important new work.”
Special thanks to Wells Fargo and the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Opera Fund, who are founding members of LA Opera.
Thanks also to Christopher Koelsch, Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco, James Conlon and Richard Seaver.
Now audiences may not only give reverence to the story of Omar but experience it in a manner that also provides first-time opportunities to many of the cast, who are also making their debut with LA Opera.
Opening night was an equally gracious host to upscale patrons, as well as the cool & shabby chic. Of course, lest we fail to mention the costume design by April M. Hickman and Micheline Russell-Brown, which showcased African royalty. Get dressed to the nines or come as you are, but come witness history. Omar’s world premiere was May 27, 2022, at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. However, for Los Angeles, this is a big deal for the culture. Remaining Performance Dates & Times for Omar at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Sunday, October 30, 2022, at 2pm
Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at 7:30pm
Saturday, November 5, 2022, at 7:30pm
Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 7:30pm
Sunday, November 13, 2022, at 2pm
Tickets
Tickets for Omar begin at $15 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at LAOpera.org, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012). For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or email [email protected].
Learn more at LAOpera.org/Omar.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
