Fire Shut Up in My Bones at The Met

The adaptation of Charles M. Blow’s memoir is the Met’s first performance of an opera by a Black composer

• Christina Zeiders
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  Christina Zeiders is the Communications Specialist at WITF. She helps get the word out about all of WITF's programs, events and community conversations.

Grammy-winning jazz musician and composer Terence Blanchard’s adaptation of Charles M. Blow’s memoir marked the Met’s first performance of an opera by a Black composer and the first production in its theater following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

Featuring a libretto by filmmaker Kasi Lemmons, the opera tells the story of a young man’s journey to overcome a life of trauma and hardship. James Robinson and Camille A. Brown co-direct this new staging, with Brown also choreographing. Brown is the first Black director to create a mainstage Met production.

Will Liverman stars as Charles alongside Angel Blue as Destiny/Loneliness/Greta, Latonia Moore as Billie, and Walter Russell III as Char’es-Baby.

Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald hosts Great Performances at the Met: Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Watch Friday, April 1 at 9pm on WITF TV, at witf.org/watch or through the PBS Video app.

Watch highlights from Fire Shut Up in My Bones: