The music of Terence Blanchard has returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago with his first opera:Â Champion, an 'opera in jazz' inspired by the true story of boxer Emile Griffith, a professional boxer from the U.S. Virgin Islands who threw a fatal punch in the boxing ring in 1962. Check out production photos here!
“In ‘Champion’ we see how Blackness, boxing and manhood can unexpectedly, and eloquently, be expressed in the expansive genre of opera.” This observation by Professor Naomi André, in a splendid
Review: Champion at Lyric Opera is a boxer s painful story chicagotribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chicagotribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Composer Terence Blanchard’s work effectively pairs young and old versions of fighter Emile Griffith, who struggled with male identity and the aftermath of a knockout that proved deadly.