In recognition of Black History Month in February, PBS Great Performances at the Met offers Anthony Davis’s groundbreaking and influential 1986 opera, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, that centers on the life the 20th century civil rights leader. This recorded performance is from the opera’s Met premiere in November 2023.
The New York Times said of the work: “As graceful as anything in opera . . . Speaks to contemporary life . . . Dreams of a better future”. Music and libretto work collaboratively to engage the audience in the world of this activist and the social environment of the era.
Tony nominee Robert O’Hara directed this Met production, which depicts Malcolm X as an Everyman – a man’s personal journey and transformation, and the journey of the public’s perception of Malcolm X. Kazem Abdullah conducts the Met orchestra and cast that features baritone Will Liverman, acclaimed for his performance in the Met premiere of Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up in My Bones, as Malcom X. The supporting cast includes young Met stars Victor Ryan Robertson, Leah Hawkins, Raehann Bryce-Davis and Michael Sumuel. More information is available at PBS Great Performance’s website.
Experience X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X on WETA Metro on Sunday, February 4, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. (ET).
Content Advisory: X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X contains strong language.
You can also hear this performance on the Met's radio broadcast on WETA Classical’s Opera Matinee on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) at 90.9 FM or via your streaming device, WETA Classical app, or online.
In further recognition of Black History Month, WETA Metro will present the National Philharmonic’s program, America’s Requiem: A Knee on the Neck, on February 10 and 11. Please check my separate Classical Score blog for further information.
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