Broadway World: LA Opera Kicks Off 'On Now' Platform With Stream Of THE ANONYMOUS LOVER [Joseph Bologne, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges]

Broadway World

By BWW News Desk

Oct. 14, 2020

On November 14, 2020, LA Opera will present the company premiere of The Anonymous Lover (L'Amant Anonyme), a 1780 opera by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), who is widely regarded as the first Black classical composer known to history.

Conducted by James Conlon, the company's Richard Seaver Music Director, and directed by Bruce Lemon, Jr., in a socially distanced stage setting at the Colburn School, the performance will be streamed online for free to reach a wide audience.

The Anonymous Lover will be the inaugural presentation of the company's new LA Opera On Now platform. After becoming the first major American Opera Company to respond to stay-at-home orders by launching an acclaimed series of unique LA Opera At Home online offerings, the company is now making streaming a permanent part of its programming. Under the On Now banner, the company will shine the spotlight on new and innovative interpretations of opera that viewers in Los Angeles and beyond can enjoy on screens, even after stay-at-home recommendations are lifted. To date, the company reports more than 750,000 views of its online programming since its launch on March 17, 2020, demonstrating a clear demand for such content.

According to Christopher Koelsch, the company's Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco President and CEO, "This presentation of The Anonymous Lover gives us many reasons for celebration. An unjustly neglected piece long overdue for a return to the opera stage, the opera reminds us that artists of color have created, performed and worked in the field of classical music for centuries, too often facing insurmountable odds. I'm thrilled to work with stage director Bruce Lemon, Jr., for the first time, in our efforts to help bring this remarkable work back to its rightful place in the repertoire."

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The Anonymous Lover is produced and streamed in partnership with the Colburn School, which will concurrently and collaboratively engage in a performance-based exploration of the works and legacy of Joseph Bologne.

Free digital tickets for The Anonymous Lover are now available at LAOpera.org/Lover. The stream will premiere at 5pm on Saturday, November 14.