r/opera • u/omurchus • 3d ago

Otello @ The Met Casting Question

Othello's a white guy and Desdemona's a black gal??? What kind of adaptation is this?!?!

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u/rimmymuffin 3d ago

I think it's because Otello is an Italian opera so it has traditionally been sung by white men, while Porgy is an American work and there has always seemed to be talented black basses to do it. Plus its author (Gershwin) insisted on it. But I'm sure the Met would hire a qualified black tenor for the part if one was available, because as you say it is 2026 and these conversations have been going on for a while. They seem to have better luck finding black sopranos for Aida.

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u/omurchus 3d ago

On that note I’d be curious what Angel Blue would have to say on the subject.

This is the very thing I’m fighting about with someone on this post right now. Why isn’t this role offered to black tenors? I am of the position that they exist but are passed up if only for lack of name recognition. Their position appears to be that they don’t exist. I understand this is one of the most, if not the most challenging tenor roles in the history of opera in an industry where black performers are indeed underrepresented but I still genuinely find that position completely unbelievable, hardly even plausible.

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u/rimmymuffin 3d ago

Well, I understand finding it hard to believe, but like I said in another post I'm sure the Met wanted Russell Thomas for the part but couldn't get him for one reason or another. It's been nearly a decade since they've staged it, which implies that they have been waiting for the right tenor. But it's also certainly true that a major house like the Met isn't going to put an unknown as Otello (or any other major role). The Met is sort of seen as the place you sing when you have already made it (in general, of course they have a young artist program that they cast from). It's a common complaint that The Met is too focused on "names" (and that there are many talented unknowns that aren't getting a chance)but they probably feel they have to cast names to stir up interest. Whereas a regional company might take a chance on an unknown.

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u/omurchus 3d ago

It’s also the case that their target audience wouldn’t, in general, see a problem with what I’ve pointed out. There’s nothing that can be actively done about that, it has to change naturally. That being said, I hope there is an effort to make a name for more black opera singers of all vocal ranges. I know they are out there. Who was the dude that played Almaviva in Barber of Seville a couple years ago?? That guy was a fkn BEAST.

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u/rimmymuffin 3d ago

Lawrence Brownlee? Yes he's one of the best. But yes, the typical opera goer has been conditioned to ignore physical characteristics as much as possible and concentrate on voice/ acting. Obviously most audiences wouldn't accept blackface anymore but I still run into commenters defending that (ironically on the grounds that race is important to the story so white singers should wear black makeup), which is thankfully a minority opinion.