Houston Grand Opera Presents 'Marian’s Song'

Houston Grand Opera presents its 68th world premiere with HGOco-commissioned Marian’s Song about legendary singer Marian Anderson on Mar. 5 and Mar. 6 at the Cullen Theater of the Wortham Center. (Photo: Lynn Lane)

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) presents its 68th world premiere Marian’s Song, composed by Damien Sneed to a libretto by Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton, Houston’s poet laureate emeritus. The opera will run for two nights only, March 5 and 6 in the Cullen Theater of the Wortham Theater Center, both at 7 p.m.

The opera is based on the life of Marian Anderson, one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century, who broke racial barriers throughout her storied career. The world premiere is an innovative fusion of opera, spoken word, and multimedia projections to bring to life the incredible story of Marian Anderson. The cast includes HGO Studio Alumna Zoie Reams as Marian Anderson, Tina B as Neveah, current Studio artist Nicholas Newton as Billy King, and Cynthia Clayton as Eleanor Roosevelt/Mrs. Roberts. Dennis Whitehead Darling is the director. 

Born in 1897, Anderson was a singer of classical music and spirituals from an early age and was later deemed one of the finest contraltos of her time. She broke racial barriers for African American artists throughout her career, becoming the first black person, American or otherwise, to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on January 7, 1955. Her performance as Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at the Met was the only time she sang an opera role on stage. Anderson was exceptionally popular in Europe, and among her myriad honors and awards were the National Medal of Arts in 1986 and the U.S. music industry’s Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1991.