The Met is back at last! Terence Blanchard's "Fire Shut up in My bones" or the aftermath of a torn childhood.

If America can, then the whole world can! I can't be more glad to see at last, the Metropolitan Opera House of New York, the biggest opera house in the world, reprising its activity, after 18 months closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the Met gave its last performance in March 11, 2020, not only the world has changed, but also the United States did, and very significantly. Americans have had to endure challenging times: confined at their homes, deprived of their social and cultural life, and with the virus stricking the country like few in the world, with lots of casualties. In addition, they had to witness a difficult change of Government and the outburst of racial violence, raising the Black Lives Matter movement to a global concern after George Floyd's murder. Now that vaccination has made a big progress -but still there's lot to do-, American opera houses are now ready to reprise their activity again after a long time closed.

Last September 11, the Met re-opened for the first time after the Covid break, for a performance of Verdi's Requiem. Then, on September 27 the first operatic performance of the new season took place, Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut up in my bones. So, the world-famed Live on HD season started on October 9, with Boris Godunov. This opera has been streamed on October 23, in its last performance.  Blanchard, a noted jazz, movie soundtrack (and nominated for Academy Awards) and even operas, with "Fire" being his second one. In addition, his is the first opera, for a Black cast, by an African-American composer to be performed at the Met stage. With a libretto by Kasi Lemmons, it is based on the columnist Charles M.Blow's autobiography, which took the title from a Bible verse from Jeremiah. Coming from the Saint Louis Opera, "Fire" tells the terrible story of Charles, a man who has to make a decision, whether to kill or not the man who sexually abused him when child. Then, Destiny, and Charles' own child self appear, to help in his decision, reminding him his life, through flashbacks. With this story, The Met wants to reach every kind of audience, not limitating the repertoire to classical, white, Western stories with an only filter to see the world. 

I wish it could reach Europe, but at the moment, we have the streaming. I have just seen it and I have to say it has been a beautiful as well as harsh experience. On one hand, Blanchard's music is a nice, inspired score, with fusionates classical music with jazz, blues and disco music. For that purpose there is a Jazz ensemble in the orchestra pit. It joins beautiful music, in a film soundtrack style, with music tending to atonality, specially in the hardest moments. Orchestra is to portray the most intimate, introspective, tragic and thrilling moments and moods, and Jazz ensemble, playing all the popular rythms  to accompaign the most relaxing, choral or enthusiastic ones. It also has the influence of spirituals, specially for Destiny's vocality. Lemmons' libretto, as well as Blow's memoirs, deals the horror, the disturbing nature, and horrendous consequences of child abuse, as well as the poverty, violence, enslaving work suffered by a Southern African American community decades ago. Charles' ordeal begins in this opressive athmosphere, as a fragile, vulnerable boy just seeking love from his busy mother and absent father, misunderstood by his macho brothers. A conducive background for his predating, evil cousin Chester, who will first molest and then agressively discard him as a sexual toy. And later, the toxic masculinity of his Fraternity at Grambling University, whose harsh initiation rituals hid ultimate cruelty and sadism. The phantoms of the night tormenting him in nightmares, a consequence of abuse, and finally the betrayal of his girlfriend, who reveals she is betrothed and she has to leave him to return to her real boyfriend. It's a beautiful miracle, that Charles choses to renounce his revenge, to leave behind his burden, and embrace good. Because in not few cases, a background like this is cannon fodder for disgrace, even criminal activity. This tragedy is sadly very common in our society, in every community, we can find a sensitive, tormented Charles, a predator like Chester, a devoted, hard-working mother like Billie or abandoning fathers like Spinner. Of course the vicious net of poverty and violence emphasizes the problem.

Directors James Robinson and Camille A. Brown create a visual staging, adapted for the Met's inmense stage, creating the different ambiances through the perfect sincronization of a big arch structure with screenings of images of different landscapes, places: the car in which Charles driving through the backroad driving home, the forest, the church with a big cross, Billie's  house and also the bars. The big structure not only works for practical set purposes, but also for dramaturgical, since is where Charles and Destiny are protected from the challenging world, to reflect and debate about his decision. Christopher Akerlind's lighting design contributes to the beautiful and cinematographic stage, with beautiful brilliant illumination during the Church scene, or the intense and beautiful blue of the First and last scene, to give some examples. Camille A. Brown's choreography creates a beautiful, sensual (hiding a disturbing nature) dance of Charles's ghosts at the Act 2 Opening, and a cheerful, astonishing dance of the fraternity at the beginning of Act 3.

Yannick Nézet-Seguin conducted the Met Orchestra, in this time a Rhytm section ensemble has been added. Nézet-Seguin has given a beautiful, tragic and powerful rendition, adapting his conducting to the jazz styles. The Met musicians have found themselves inspired, the trumpet shining in its opening passage, a fateful music announcing what is to come, or the cello in its beautiful solo in the Act 2 opening dance. The Jazz ensemble play a little piece between Acts 2 and 3, with the bass distinguished among the other instruments, playing a quiet tune. The chorus, all African American, sing very well and act even better, conveying the magic of Black music and rythms in their voices and movements, and very cheerful in the dance.

Will Liverman is Charles, the tormented protagonist. Liverman is a baritone with a gifted acting, conveying the character's tormented soul. His voice doesn't seemed to be very volumed, and  his singing was a bit plain in the first act, but he regained enough energy to accomplish the most dramatical scenes in acts 2 and 3, in which he sang movingly. He knows well the text and tries to give as much as he can musically, though.

Angel Blue has a triple role as Destiny, Loneliness in Act 2 and Greta, Charles' love, in Act 3. Blue is one of the leading American sopranos today, with a lyric-dramatic toned voice. The role of Destiny is strongly influenced by spirituals, whose rythm fit into Blue's pristine high register. The role has also a deep, almost mezzo low register, which sounds dark in her voice.  A beautiful moment was her beautifully sung extract "Peculiar Grace" in Act 1.

Latonia Moore as Billie has been the most celebrated by the critics and after watching the stream, we cannot do anything but agree. Moore's dramatic voice, authority and scenical presence are the ingredients for a memorable performance, in which her velvet-toned singing and musicality makes her to shine in moments like her final aria in Act 2. Really, she led the cast.

The young 13 year-old treble Walter Russell III performed the part of Char'es Baby, the protagonist own child self. He is a skilled singing actor, and his nice child voice fits into the musical tragedy. His acting portraits a shy, frail young Charles who desperately seeks for some love. And he seems so vulnerable when Chester approaches him, for his terrible purpose. And also he can be very cheerful and charming during the scenes with his uncle and mother.

Ryan Speedo Green as Uncle Paul has a great bass voice, totally dark and authoritative. Chauncey Parker as Spinner, the careless and rogue father has a comical spieltenor voice, and the sense of humor of a manipulative playboy who waste his wife's income. Chris Kenney in the role of the abuser cousin Chester, is a baritone with a light voice, totally suitable for the vicious young aiming to win Charles for his twisted lust. In addition, Kenney's convincing acting gives the character an evil, manipulative and hateful aura. Donovan Singletary has a brief but nice performance as the Pastor. The rest of the cast is at the same good level.

This production has become an event. At the end of the show, the audience responded with a thunderous ovation. One of the most touching moments in the night was to see the young Russell III crying totally moved for the ovation he received. Such a magic world ended with the last performance, last Saturday. But also this is the very awaited return of the most important opera house in America, also a leading one worldwide, with its casts full of stars, lavish, dazzling stagings and amazing conductors. Much to the New Yorkers delight and also for the rest of the world via the magnificent Live in HD streamings. So let's rejoice!

My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.

Most of the photographs are from the internet and belong to its authors. My use of them is only cultural. If someone is uncomfortable with their use, just notify it to me.

Any reproduction of my text requires my permission.