Davoné Tines to star in new Terence Blanchard opera

Davoné Tines

Davóne Tines will star in the world premiere of five-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard and filmmaker Kasi Lemmons’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” at the Opera Theater of St. Louis this summer. The opera is based on the memoir of New York Times columnist and political commentator Charles Blow. This is the composer's second work for the company, following his highly successful "Champion," which premiered in 2013 and was subsequently performed at Opera Parallèle and the Washington National Opera.

The libretto for Fire Shut Up in My Bones is a soul-baring story of Blow's experiences growing up in Gibsland, Louisiana, including violence and the sexual abuse he endured from a relative.

The opera will also feature rising stars Julia Bullock in three roles and Karen Slack as Blow's mother. All three artists are making their Opera Theater of St. Louis mainstage debuts.

“Fire Shut Up in My Bones” will premiere on June 15, 2019 at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and run for six performances. Additional information is available online.

Davóne Tines also recently premiered The Black Clown, with text that the singer adapted from Langston Hughes. The piece deals a Black man’s resilience against a legacy of oppression.