St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "OTSL’s 'Treemonisha' will mark the world premiere of a new, expanded version of Joplin’s original, which was published in 1911"

Jermaine Smith

(By Ken Howard)

Scott Joplin

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

May 13, 2022

By Daniel Durchholz Special to the Post-Dispatch

Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ 2022 Festival Season isn’t underway just yet — its production of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” is still a week away — but the organization has already announced its lineup of operas for 2023.

The season will run from May 20 to June 25 with mainstage productions of Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha,” Puccini’s “Tosca,” Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” and Carlisle Floyd’s “Susannah," plus OTSL’s annual Black Music Month Celebration and “Center Stage” young artist showcase.

The productions will be staged at Webster University’s Loretto-Hilton Center. Each of them will feature accompaniment by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

OTSL’s “Treemonisha” will mark the world premiere of a new, expanded version of Joplin’s original, which was published in 1911 but never staged during his lifetime. The reimagined version features a new prologue and epilogue by composer Damien Sneed and librettist Karen Chilton, who wrote “The Tongue and the Lash” for OTSL’s 2021 “New Works, Bold Voices” lab. “Treemonisha” will be conducted by George Manahan and directed by Charlotte Brathwaite. Performance dates are May 20, 26, June 3, 6, 8, 11, 21 and 24.