After the trauma of sexual assault comes the healing of “Fire and Blue Sky” at LA Opera

Following his breakout performance as Calof in Los Angeles Opera’s Turandot, tenor Russell Thomas performs his most personal role to date in the one-night-only world premiere of Fire and Blue Skies.

“It’s basically an argument and a relationship between a mother and her son and their own trauma, and how that affected me,” Thomas said of the biographical nature of the new work, reflecting on the anguish of her own beginnings after the rape of his mother. . “So it’s more about how these experiences affect the family and what happens from that.”

Mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel plays a role in the two-person song cycle. Book by poet Imani Tolliver and music by Emmy Award-winning composer Joel Thompson, directed by Lina González-Granados.

“Fire and Blue Sky” comes near the end of Thomas’ residency at the Los Angeles Opera, which began in 2021. Since her company debut in 2015, she has sung Pollione in “Norma,” Cavaradossi in “Tosca,” the main roles in “Tosca”. The Behavior of Titus”, “Oedipus Rex” and “Othello”, as well as Radames in “Aida”. He hosted and directed the company’s after-hours recital series and was at the forefront of programs for singers from historically black colleges and universities, as well as public high schools in Los Angeles.

Thomas grew up singing in a church in Miami, but never considered living there until a high school teacher suggested he try it. While in college, he sang in the Miami Opera chorus and enrolled in training programs at the Seattle Opera, Florida Grand Opera, St. Louis Opera Theater and Sarasota Opera. In 2002, she participated in the Metropolitan Opera’s Young Artists Program, which earned her invitations from opera houses around the world.

This conversation has been lightly edited for length.

Was it cathartic to work on “Fire and Blue Sky”?

Talking about this story in public was already quite a series. As someone who grew up in this situation, it is very healing. I think all of our life experiences influence us on stage. I always tell people that when I was a young gay man, I wasn’t free on stage. And as soon as I got out, I felt more open vocally, musically, and dramatically.

Were there any emotional or technical obstacles you had to overcome for the piece?

It is made in tessitura. [a vocal range] It’s not the most comfortable for my voice. Some corrections were made during testing. We’ll see how everything fits with the orchestra. After singing Kalaf, which is a very hard tessitura, it is very demanding. Also, a lot of modern composers write very beautiful vocal music, but there’s something about the choice of vowels in certain pieces that I think Puccini and those guys realized can have an effect without costing the singer.

Joel wrote this with me in mind, and while I love singing high notes, having four or five in a row just doesn’t work for me. There are many B-naturals and I will replace some of them. There are almost more B-flats and B-flats in these five songs than in Turandot.

How can opera overcome elitism?

When it came to vocal music, Asians were excluded and repressed. Black people remained in history. Yes, there is a measure of elitism. Unfortunately, especially in the United States, all funding comes from private donations and they usually come from very rich people. And those very wealthy people tend to be white men and women of a certain age. So it has a classic look.

When you try to ask a donor to donate $10 million, that donor says, I want these five people in this program. Try giving him these five. Everyone is so hungry for resources that they try to appease those people as much as possible.

Does the medium also depend on tradition?

I personally love traditions, but balance is everything. At the Met, you’re going to see “The Fire is Out in My Bones.” [and] is your ideal audience. If you see any concert with Kathleen Battle, it is 95% sold out. Not that he should be a living composer. They should be stories that people want to see on stage and that they can identify with. If you shoot it right, they’ll come see it. I don’t think there is a single market for all.

You have received a lot of guidance through the programs you have created during residency. How important have mentors been to you?

When I got to university, I met fantastic people who were very good to me. They gave me resources and information and took me to the opera. I have had several musical mentors over the years. They taught me for free when I couldn’t afford to pay people to help me prepare my music. And I’ve always felt like it’s my responsibility, not just me, but every artist who has benefited from that kind of love and community.

I started a nonprofit with some of my colleagues at the Black Leadership College of the Arts. Being an opera singer or any type of singer is very expensive. Some teachers earn up to $200 an hour. Hiring a pianist to work with you on your repertoire costs $75 an hour. If you are a young college graduate, [the expense] almost impossible.

How has being the father of a young son changed you as an artist?

So my priorities as a parent have completely changed. Even though I still love singing and I still love art and I still love opera, that’s not the end of it. My relationship with my son is everything. And every decision I make is based on what will be best for us in this relationship.