The Metropolitan Opera premiere of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, by Pulitzer-winning composer Anthony Davis and librettist Thulani Davis, opened November 3 —and the reviews are in!
Broadway director Robert O'Hara makes his Met debut with the new production of the 1986 opera about the famed civil rights leader, presented now with a newly revised score. Baritone Will Liverman stars as Malcolm X, alongside soprano Leah Hawkins, mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis, tenor Victor Ryan Robertson, and bass-baritone Michael Sumuel. Kazem Abdullah conducts.
Read the reviews here.
BroadwayWorld (Richard Sasanow)
Financial Times (George Grella)
New York Classical Review (David Wright)
The New York Times (Joshua Barone)*
OperaWire (Chris Ruel)
*This review requires creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
Robert O'Hara leads a creative team full of artists making their Met debuts, including scenic designer Clint Ramos, costume designer Dede Ayite, lighting designer Alex Jainchill, projection designer Yee Eun Nam, wig designer Mia Neal, and choreographer Rickey Tripp.
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X is the second of four contemporary operas receiving their Met premieres this season, as part of the company's ongoing effort to promote new works. It will be followed later this month by the company premiere of Daniel Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas, directed by Mary Zimmerman.
Performances of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X continue through December 2.
For more information, visit MetOpera.org.
