New England Premiere of Malcolm X Opera at Strand Theater

The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) and Odyssey Opera, two of todays leading innovators on the classical musical scene, present the New England premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Daviss seminal opera X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (1986) on June 17, 2022, at the Strand Theatre, a short distance from the house where Malcolm Little lived in his teenage years in Roxbury. This sprawling, genre-bending biographical opera unfolds the astonishing life of one of the most misunderstood men in history. Led by conductor Gil Rose, this semi-staged, three-act production features celebrated bass-baritone Davne Tines, Musical Americas 2021 Vocalist of the Year, embodying the title role of Malcolm X; mezzo-soprano Ronnita Miller (Ella); soprano Whitney Morrison (Louise/Betty); Boston-based baritone Joshua Conyers (Reginald); tenor Victor Robertson (Elijah/Street); 14-year-old Framingham singer Jonathan Harris (Malcolm Little); and the full BMOP orchestra with an ensemble of jazz soloists. X marks the first production in BMOPs five-year performance and recording initiative As Told By: History, Race, and Justice on the Opera Stage, the most extensive and ambitious presentation of opera by Black composers to ever take place in the United States.