Opera Exposures Presents THE STORY OF ELIZABETH JENNINGS: 100 YEARS BEFORE ROSA PARKS

In honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Opera Exposures presents "The Story of Elizabeth Jennings: 100 Years Before Rosa Parks" at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on Sunday, January 14, 2024.

The 3 p.m. recital featuring two world-renowned opera singers will celebrate the remarkable life of a 19th-century hidden figure.

In 1854, Jennings was on her way to church in Manhattan when she boarded a segregated street car. The conductor attempted several times to physically remove her, but Jennings resisted. Finally, police officers ejected her from the street car.

"The authorities had no idea who they were discriminating against that day," says Edna Greenwich, founder and director of Opera Exposures. "Jennings didn't just sit down. She literally fought to take a seat to stand up for justice."

Artists will perform classical music and spirituals inspired by Jennings, who successfully sued the Third Avenue Railroad Company, which ended its practice of racial discrimination.

Paying tribute will be featured soprano Nia Drummond, featured tenor Edward Washington II and Jonathan Cameron Kelly on piano. Anthony Tuner will serve as moderator. (Check bios and photos on Page 2.)

Opera Exposures is a nonprofit performing arts organization launched in 2004 to present seasoned professionals and young artists in accessible venues at affordable prices to reach a broader audience. "We strive to highlight forgotten stories from our past and honor those contributions in song," says Greenwich whose mantra is "Everyone loves opera, they just don't know it yet."

St. Marks is located at 131 E Street on the Lower East Side. Check Eventbrite to purchase tickets ($30) and/or make donations.

Contact Edna Greenwich Founder/Director of Opera Exposures (917) 402-8144

In Performance ...

Soprano Nia Drummond, who earned a B.A. in voice and opera from SUNY at Fredonia. Gracing stages at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Apollo Theater, Drummond has performed a list of coveted roles in opera. She was Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Rosalinda in Strauss' Die Fledermaus, and Edith in Gilbert & Sullivans' Pirates of Penzance.

British-born tenor Edward Washington II, who studied voice at Stetson University and earned an M.A. at Morgan State University. Washington has performed at the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera, and he was a featured vocalist twice at Carnegie Hall. He is known for his work in several Puccini productions: Parpigol in La Boheme, Pang and Pong in Turandot, Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi and Spoletta in Tosca.

Jonathan Cameron Kelly is an assistant conductor at The Metropolitan Opera. He has worked in similar capacities at the San Francisco Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera Theater of Lucca, and the Chautauqua Institution. He has performed with many giants including Placido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Joshua Bell, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Sting.

Baritone Anthony Turner is an adjunct professor of Voice at Wagner College in Staten Island. He earned his B.A. from Simpson College and an M.A. from the University of Cincinnati, both degrees in music performance. Turner commissioned the song cycle chronicling the trials of incarcerated youth in Who Am I? The piece has been performed at the Zihka Hall in Houston, LaMaMa Theatre in New York City, and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. He has also performed extensively throughout the United States and several European countries.

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