I kill a man and the world forgives me. I love a man and the world wants to kill me.
First premiering at Opera Theatre St Louis in 2013, Terence Blanchard's jazz-infused opera is notable in that it features a mainly African-American cast. Tackling homophobic violence, Champion recalls a fateful incident in which boxer Emile Griffith punched his competitor in a knockout blow after suffering homophobic abuse - Benny Paret died 10 days later having never regained consciousness. A collaboration between OTSL and Jazz St. Louis to combine opera and jazz, it was released to favorable reviews for both its timely story and composition.
Flashing back and forth through time, between the throes of dementia and when he was a fit young man at the height of Griffiths boxing career, Champion examines the attitudes towards his bisexuality as a black athlete, and the slow build-up that led to him throwing that fateful punch which ultimately doomed his opponent. With more sports stars coming out as gay or bisexual in recent years, this timely addition to opera canon reflects the precarious positions that male athletes have faced and continue to face due to discrimination. <
