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X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X hero image
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X hero image
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X hero image

X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X Tickets

Metropolitan Opera House

Tony Award nominee Robert O’Hara directs the Met Opera premiere of this modern classic, based on the life of Malcolm X.

X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X Tickets Available Now

37 years after its groundbreaking premiere, the Metropolitan Opera House finally welcomes X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X to its stage. This urgent and compelling take on the civil rights leader’s life is renewed with a revised score and direction from Tony Award nominee Robert O’Hara (Slave Play).

About X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

He is a figure that stands tall in modern US history, and in this stirring opera Malcolm X’s short but powerful life is etched out on stage. From the murder of his father to his mother’s breakdown and his fight for liberation, the Malcolm X opera explores the full arc of his journey from childhood to death.

X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X premiered in 1986 and has been considered an underrated gem in the modern operatic canon, praised for its curiosity in both content and music.

Who created the Malcolm X Opera?

X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X has music by Anthony Davis and a libretto by Thulani Davis, and is devised from a story by Christopher Davis.

In the Met Opera’s commanding new staging, Malcolm X is imagined as an Everyman whose life and story break the boundaries of time and space. The newly revised score, conducted by Kazem Abdullah, is the richly layered, jazz-inflected foundation that makes the story spring from the stage. It is directed by Robert O’Hara, who was nominated for a Tony Award for daring and groundbreaking Broadway show Slave Play.

The Malcolm X Opera Cast

The cast of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X is led by an exceptional company of young stars and breakout performers who bring vital energy to the piece. Baritone Will Liverman stars as Malcolm X, following an acclaimed turn in the Met premiere of Fire Shut Up in My Bones, alongside soprano Leah Hawkins as Malcolm’s mother Louise; mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis as his sister Ella; bass-baritone Michael Sumuel as his brother Reginald; and tenor Victor Ryan Robertson as Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad.

Malcolm X Opera Tickets: A Modern Classic You Can’t Miss

Amidst the incredible array of classic and iconic operas from European giants in the Met Opera season, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X is a potent example of the genre’s flexibility and possibilities as a modern art form. Don’t miss the chance to see this acclaimed show as it finally reaches New York’s premier opera company this year.

Sorry this show closed 02 December 2023, we recommend these similar productions.

Tosca
Grounded
Performance dates:
02 Dec 2023 - 02 Dec 2023
Running time:
3 hours and 20 minutes including an 2 intermissions.
Age recommendation:
No age recommendation has been set. See Audience Notes for content warnings.
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