To judge from what we see over here, you’d think that the US only produced one opera every five years. There are many more than that, but UK opera companies seem reluctant to import them. Congratulations, then, to the English National Opera, for including two in its current season: first, Jake Heggie’s It’s a Wonderful Life, and now, Jeanine Tesori’s Blue, which premiered in New York in 2019.
It’s had multiple stagings in the US; last November it reached Amsterdam, now it’s London’s turn. The story it tells is specifically American but has resonances everywhere: it’s the present day; a black New York cop clashes with his activist son over notions of equality and justice. There is no shortage of dramatic potential, yet I find myself wishing I could be more enthusiastic.
