Baltimore Rock Opera Society Presents: Rock Opera 101, Part 2: Onto the Stage.

“Black music and with it the private black self were suddenly grossly public—tossed onstage, dressed in clown white, and bandied about with a gleeful arrogance that just yesterday had chosen to ignore and condescend.” – Margo Jefferson

Rock Opera 101 returns for the second concert in our three-part concert series about racism in rock music. In this performance, Jonathan and his band will delve into the origins of rock opera and rock theater. In the 1960s and 70s, diversity was beginning to come to the Broadway stage. Shows like Hair, The Wiz, and Raisin were bringing Black creativity into the theater and earning broad acclaim, but unfortunately, the Black performers, musicians, and writers rarely received recognition. Here, we will attempt to give them some of the credit they deserve.

UPCOMING ROCK OPERA 101:

Date TBA: Rock Opera 101, Part 2: Talkback Panel – A live discussion with the creators of Rock Opera 101 and Black performers that will more deeply explore the issues presented in Part 2 in a revealing and educational discussion.

Thursday, September 10th – Into The Future, where we examine current trends and extrapolate a future for rock theater. We look at contributions from LGBTQ creators, Latinx creators, and other groups who are finding their voice in rock opera.

We hope that you will accompany us on this journey through rock history!

For sponsorship opportunities, please email Development Director Naomi Davidoff at [email protected].

This event is free for all, but we suggest you please consider a donation to one of the following sources:

Baltimore Rock Opera Society – www.baltimorerockopera.org/support/donate

Campaign Zero – www.joincampaignzero.org

To become a Rock Opera 101 sponsor, visit baltimorerockopera.org/sponsor-rockopera101 (copy to your browser)