jan 1, 2019 - original X, the life of malcolem X

Description:

Detroit Opera made a new production of Christopher Davis (writer) and composer Anthony Davis X: the life and Times of Malcolm X. It is directed by Robert O'Hara with libretto by Thulani Davis and somehow Yuval Sharon is involved again. and Anthony Davis (composer), directed by Robert O’Hara. It’s about the life of the civil rights leader Malcolm Little who is played by Antony Tines and Charles Dennis. It follows Malcolm as his father is murdered by white supremacists, and he is separated from his family by social workers. He is brought to Boston and falls into drugs and crime. He is sent to prison and starts reading the Quran. After leaving prison, he continued with Islam and religion, renaming himself from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X, the single letter representing the African name which was taken from him. He speaks up about finding back against the oppressors, and gains a following, but after arriving at Mecca, realises Allah’s message is peace, changes his name again to Malik El Shabazz, returns to America. His story ends with his assassination in 1965.

At one point, digital panels on the stage's ceiling which project different images throughout the opera, scroll the names of those killed for being Black.
Also, there are times when Tines delivers speeches that Malcolm really delivered. He doesn't sing them but the orchestra still plays in the background.
The song in the link is Jones is not your name, whose full title is X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X: Act II, Scene 3, “Jones is not your name”.

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