Champion

Terence Blanchard made history in 2021 when his Fire Shut Up in My Bones became the first opera by a Black composer to be presented by the Met. The overwhelming success of that production brought the Grammy Award–winning composer and jazz trumpeter back the following season for the company premiere of Champion, about real-life boxer Emile Griffith. In this Live in HD transmission, bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green stars as the young prizefighter, who battles demons in and out of the ring, while bass-baritone Eric Owens portrays Griffith’s older self, haunted by a pivotal moment from his past. Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts a knockout new production by James Robinson, which also features baritone Eric Greene as the opponent whom Griffith inadvertently kills; soprano Latonia Moore as Griffith’s mother, Emelda; tenor Paul Groves as his coach, Howie Albert; and mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as bar owner Kathy Hagen, who offers him much-needed solace. Content Advisory: Champion addresses adult themes and contains adult language.