TheaterMania: Last fall, the Metropolitan Opera kicked off its 2021-22 season with the New York premiere of Fire Shut Up in My Bones, a new opera from composer Terence Blanchard (his second) and librettist Kasi Lemmons, based on Charles M. Blow's memoir about his coming-of-age, including being sexually molested.
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Composer Terence Blanchard is a prolific American trumpeter and composer who has composed and played on numerous film records, and he has had two operas of his put on by the Metropolitan Opera–Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Champion. Fire Shut Up in My Bones was the first ever production of an opera by a Black composer in the 140 year history of the Met. Blanchard, through his score, demonstrates stylistic range–blues, jazz, gospel, and standard operatic arias, exemplifying expressiveness and emotion. Blanchard is an involved creator in the process of working on his pieces, collaborating with other artists and being present at rehearsals from the very start. I am glad that I read this article and gained an insight into his process and his work. Representation, platforming, and financial compensation in the theatre world, especially for BIPOC artists, is a good thing, and I am thankful that hopefully, that is what we are moving to going forward, with people like Blanchard paving the way.
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