The Black Clown – Opera

The Black Clown
Philadelphia Premiere
An adaptation of the Langston Hughes poem by the same name
Co-created by Davóne Tines, Michael Schachter, and Zack Winokur
Produced in Partnership with ArKtype
Original music by Michael Schachter
Directed by Zack Winokur
Choreographed by Chanel DaSilva
Performed in English
Creator and opera revolutionary
Davóne Tines
brings Langston Hughes’ poem “The Black Clown” to musical life in a vaudevillian rendering of this masterpiece. Fusing gospel, opera, jazz, and spirituals into a searing night of theatrical brilliance,
The Black Clown
embodies the evolving, divided soul of Black America and animates a Black man’s resilience against a legacy of oppression.
The Black Clown
has been hailed as “pure poetry” by
The Boston Globe, and
The New York Times
lauds “this rich, seamless production melds the past and present of African-American history into an electrifyingly ambivalent whole.” Tines makes his Opera Philadelphia debut alongside an ensemble of 12 performers in this genre-bending, visually arresting piece, juxtaposing dazzling cathartic performances with Hughes’ enduring work.
All tickets are
Pick Your Price , starting at $11. Any amount above $11 helps support other operagoers and the work we present on stage. In addition, $10 rush tickets will be available before the performance.