An original rhythm and blues opera to commemorate the 50^th year of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination will take stage in Charlotte.

“I Dream” focuses on the 36 hours leading up to King’s assassination on April 4, 1968 and a series of dreams, memories and premonitions, and beyond, right to that fateful moment on the balcony of Memphis’ Lorraine Motel.

“This rhythm and blues opera is something new and fresh unlike any other work that our community has seen,” James Meena, general director and principal conductor of Opera Carolina, said.

To enhance the “I Dream” experience, Opera Carolina and the Community Building Initiative, with the support of the Leon Levine Foundation and the Philip L. Van Every Foundation, are creating community previews and dialogues to bring people together for positive reflection on the opera and King’s legacy.

“I Dream” is a new work by composer and librettist Douglas Tappin that fuses classical, jazz, gospel and rhythm and blues to share the story of King’s life inclusive of the humanizing habits and conflicts that the man who would become an American icon endured

“I wrote and composed ‘I Dream’ to honor the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. and the movement he inspired, to unite diverse individuals and institutions in understanding the prophetic message of Dr. King,” Tappin said.

The final scene of “I Dream” takes place at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Suggested in the scene are the years between the Voting Rights Act and his assassination, which marked a prolonged period of struggle for King, as he weighed whether to press on or to end his work with the victory just achieved.

This final scene features King reflecting on his work, his promises made, and his dreams. After King’s assassination, the work ends with his widow, Coretta King, contemplating whether she will take over the leadership of the movement and a reflection on his ultimate dream, demonstrating how her husband’s courageous leadership shaped the dream into a growing reality.

Click on this link for ticket information.

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