Babatunde Blends Hip Hop and Opera at Sierra Madre Playhouse

Babatunde Akinboboye, a visionary classically-trained baritone singer brings fresh new perspective to opera with “Hip Hopera,” a genre-defying musical style fusing the classical opera with the rhythmic intensity and attitude of hip-hop, on Friday and Saturday, August 28 and 29, 2926, 8:00 PM, at the historic Sierra Madre Playhouse.

With a voice deeply grounded in operatic tradition and a performance style rooted in contemporary culture, Babatunde, accompanied by DJ Amond Jackson, creates an experience that feels both timeless and cutting-edge as he moves freely between tradition and innovation. His vocal virtuosity meets cultural conversation in a way that is visceral, fresh, and deeply engaging, redefining opera for a modern audience.

Babatunde traverses instantly recognizable arias and vocal works, such as Toreador, Funiculi, Funicula, and O Sole Mio, along with modern rhythms and spoken-word passages, revealing how these two musical worlds reflect one another—both in drama, narrative arc, and emotional reach.

In the intimate setting of the 99-seat Sierra Madre Playhouse, each phrase and dramatic turn delivered by the internationally celebrated YouTube sensation is carried with clarity and immediacy.

Nigerian American baritone Babatunde Akinboboye, known for his enthralling stage presence, has performed with the Los Angeles Opera, Opera San Jose, Opera Santa Barbara, Long Beach Opera, and Utah Opera. He has also debuted the roles of Drew in the Opera Works’Arts for Social Awareness Project’s world premiere production of The Discord Opera, and Zanni in the world premiere of Gloria Coates’ Stolen Identity. Recent performances include Daggoo in LA Opera’s Moby Dick, Escamillo in Pacific Opera Project’s production of Carmen, and Lucha’s Father in The Industry’s production of Hopscotch. He is also an advocate for the performance of art song and operatic works written by African and African American composers. Babatunde’s honors include Regional Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition, and finalist in the International Eisteddfod Vocal Solo Competition in Llangollen, Wales. In 2018, Babatunde combined his love of classical opera and hip hop and created the new genre Hip Hopera in a viral video that gained over 10 million views and was featured on Time.com, Classic FM, MSN.com and more.

For tickets ($40) and information, please call 626.355.4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org. Sierra Madre Playhouse is located at 87 West Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, CA 91024.