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Old Emile is trapped in his own confusion, young Emile in his performance of torment.
Its not enough to lift an opera that seems bitter about a sport that Blanchard has claimed to love.
By the final curtain, you wind up feeling that the wages of boxing are dementia and death.
Still,Championkicks up plenty of glory along the way.
Hes smart enough to deny that urge.
She sings the role of Emiles mother, who abandoned him and her other children.
Blanchard callsChampionan opera in jazz, but its really just an opera, full stop.
Jazz is a medium, a tool, and a set of allusions.
And the Met has thrownChampiona rousing party.
Director James Robinson narrates the action with canny use of projections, lighting, and a rotating ring.
The choreographer Camille A.
