Lincoln Center presents Mostly Mozart Festival: THE BLACK CLOWN

Cry to the world/That all might understand:/I was once a black clown/But now—/I’m a man! Fusing vaudeville, gospel, opera, jazz, and spirituals, The Black Clown brings Langston Hughes’s famed 1931 poem to life in a stunning new music-theater piece. Powerful and prescient, the experience of a black man’s resilience against a legacy of oppression unfolds, featuring baritone Davóne Tines in the title role. He’s joined by an ensemble of 12 and a chamber orchestra performing a vibrant score by Michael Schachter.

“Pure poetry… The cast spun, stomped, and soared through songs of joy, grief, and rage.” – Boston Globe

“Powerful, stunning, and brilliantly innovative.” – Edge Boston

“[A] singer of immense power and fervor.” – Los Angeles Times on Davóne Tines