Panel – 7:00 PM
Broadcast – 8:00 PM
FREEDOM RIDE PANEL AND BROADCAST
MassOpera is proud to present selections from our Second New Opera Workshop Concert Performance of Dan Shore’s Freedom Ride, presented last fall at The Strand Theatre in Dorchester, in collaboration with Chicago Opera Theater, the City of Boston and the Boston Foundation. In addition to the broadcast of selections from the opera, we are thrilled to welcome a panel of members of the creative team and cast, prior to the broadcast, including Conductor, and Chicago Opera Theatre Music Director, Lidiya Yankovskaya; composer and librettist, Dan Shore; soprano, Alicia Russell who portrays Sylvie Davenport; and baritone, Ron Williams, who portrays Clayton Thomas. With his new appointment as Director of Opera Studies at Manhattan School of Music, stage director, Tazewell Thompson-an Emmy Award Nominee and NAACP Award Winner-will not be able to join us, but will send a written statement.
Freedom Ride tells the story of Sylvie Davenport, a young student from New Orleans, as she is drawn into the Civil Rights Movement in the summer of 1961.
Activists, Clayton and Jerome are trying to recruit volunteers to join the Freedom Rides to Jackson, Mississippi, part of a massive and dangerous plan to desegregate interstate bus and train travel. They recruit several students, including Russell Davenport and his older sister Sylvie, who is initially hostile, but attracted to Clayton and determined to win his respect.
As the day for Sylvie’s ride to Jackson looms closer, her personal life starts to interfere with her plans: Clayton rejects her love, her mother Georgia disowns her, her college revokes her scholarship, and Russell backs out of his initial commitment. At a church rally the night before she is to leave, a bomb is tossed through the window, injuring many of the Freedom Riders, including Clayton and—fatally—Sylvie’s young friend Ruby.
Join us for the pre-broadcast panel discussion, Wednesday, October 21st at 7 PM, followed by the broadcast at 8 PM. The total running time for this is 90 minutes including both the panel discussion and the broadcast.
PANELISTS
Dan Shore
Composer and Librettist
Bio
Lidiya Yankovskaya
Conductor
Bio
Alicia Russell
Soprano
Bio
Ron Williams
Baritone
Bio
PANEL MODERATOR
Michael J. Bobbitt
Artistic Director, New Repertory Theatre
Michael J. Bobbitt is the Artistic Director of New Repertory Theatre in Boston, MA. He is an arts leader, director, choreographer, playwright and Anti-racist Arts Advocate.
Michael has been a leading voice for Inclusiveness in the arts beginning early in his career in his hometown of Washington, DC, and throughout his tenure at numerous prominent arts organizations, where he has been repeatedly recognized for his efforts in the advancement of Anti-racism, Equity, and Diversity. His practices, policies and procedures for creating and changing culture within arts organizations have been adopted by several organizations around the nation. His thought-leadership in this crucial area is now spreading to a number of national outlets including regional panels, national conferences, and his widely popular new series of webinars focused on building Anti-racist organizations.
FULL CAST
Veena Akama-Makia
Gloria & Chorus
Bio
Kristen Buabin
Chorus
Bio
Chad Chaffee
Chorus (Man on the Bus)
Bio
Melynda Davis
Leonie Baker
Bio
Joshua Dixon
Chorus
Bio
Sarah Eastman
Chorus
Bio
Imani Francis
Georgia Davenport & Chorus
Bio
Todd McNeel, Jr.
Tommie & Chorus
Bio
Brianna Meese
Chorus
Bio
Michael Merullo
Marc & Chorus
Bio
Morgan Middleton
Frances
Bio
Steven D. Myles
Rev. Jerome Mitchell
Bio
Miracle Oromena Ogbor
Ruby & Chorus
Bio
Tatum Robertson
Sylvie (Cover) & Chorus
Bio
Alicia Russell
Sylvie Davenport
Bio
Ezra Joshua Sanders
Chorus
Bio
Jennifer Soloway
Mae & Chorus
Bio
Juan Suarez
Chorus
Bio
Fred C. VanNess
Russell Davenport
Bio
Ron Williams
Clayton Thomas
Bio
Jessica Trainor Tasucu
Chorus
Bio
Xinyue Zhang
Chorus
Bio
CREATIVE TEAM
Dan Shore
Composer
Bio
Lidiya Yankovskaya
Conductor
Bio
Tazewell Thompson
Stage Director
Bio
Carla Maniscalco-Giovinco
Production Stage Manager
Bio
Daniel P. Ryan
Conductor, Boston City Singers (Childen's Chorus)
Bio
Marina Krickler
Orchestra Manager
Bio
Eve Budnick
Repetiteur
Bio
ORCHESTRA
Oboe: Anna Bradford
Clarinet: Celine Ferro
Bassoon: Rachael Elliott
Horn: Marina Krickler
Horn: Jennifer Robbins
Trumpet: Samuel Thurston
Piano: Eve Budnick
Percussion: Nate Tucker
Violin: Kiyoshi Hayashi
Violin: Marjorie Gere
Violin: Nicole Parks
Violin: Aija Reke
Violin: Haley Leach
Violin: Lauren Paul
Violin: Sean Larkin
Violin: Aleksandra Labinska
Viola: Drew Ricciardi
Viola: Rebecca Miller
Viola: Kenneth Allen
Cello: Minjin Chung
Cello: Cherry Kim
Cello: Mashunda Smith
Bass: Joseph Newton
BOSTON CITY SINGERS
Jackson Andrews
Carlie Augustin
Niani Brewer
Awa Diagne
Graham Goodrich
Greta Gorman
Angelica Greaves
Malena Henry
Angel Hu
Sareta Huggins-Bovill
Chisom Jones
Alexander Kennedy
Camille Krone
Elena Krone
Matthew Lashley
De Angele Meme
Lyla Mendoza
Ivy Miskell
Alleela Perryman
Andrew Pina
Jade Reese
Leila Schaareman
Misa Seto
Abby St. Amand
Gavin Walker
Joshua Ximba
Melina Zullas
VENUE: ZOOM AND YOUTUBE
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