They could imprison his body. But not his spirit.
In 1807, a 37-year-old scholar living in West Africa was captured and forced aboard a slave ship bound for Charleston, South Carolina. Omar Ibn Said's life and Muslim faith are remembered and retold in this inspirational West Coast premiere inspired by his remarkable 1831 autobiography (the only known surviving American slave narrative written in Arabic).
Set in the shifting darkness of memory and imagination, Omar follows his compelling journey from a peaceful life in his homeland to enslavement in a violent, foreign world. Lost in the wilderness of his thoughts and his stolen life, he's haunted by memories of his family and the people he encounters along the way. Through it all, he somehow remains true to himself and his faith, against all odds. The luminous score—composed by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels—incorporates distinctive West African traditions with traditional opera instrumentation.
Tenor Jamez McCorkle makes his company debut in the title role, with bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch in a double role as two very different slave masters. Norman Garrett makes his company debut as Omar's brother, with Barry Banks as the auctioneer and Jacqueline Echols as Julie, an enslaved woman who gives Omar the key to a better life.
Learn more about the creative process of Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels in this New York Times article.
Sung in English with English subtitles.
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Jamez McCorkle in the title role of "Omar" at the opera's 2022 world premiere at Spoleto Festival USA
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Jamez McCorkle as Omar and Cheryse McLeod Lewis as Omar's Mother in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Jamez McCorkle as Omar in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Jamez McCorkle as Omar in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Laquita Mitchell as Julie in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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A scene from the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Jamez McCorkle as Omar in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Adam Klein as Master Taylor and Malcom MacKenzie as Master Owen in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Jamez McCorkle as Omar in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Cheryse McLeod Lewis as Omar's Mother in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Jamez McCorkle as Omar in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Jamez McCorkle as Omar, with Laquita Mitchell as Julie and Cheryse McLeod Lewis as Omar's Mother, in the 2022 world premiere of "Omar" at Spoleto Festival USA
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Portrait of Omar Ibn Said (1770-1864)
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Portrait (circa 1850) of Omar Ibn Said (1770-1864)
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Rhiannon Giddens, co-composer of "Omar"
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Michael Abels, co-composer of "OMAR"
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Jamez McCorkle makes his LA Opera debut in the title role of "Omar"
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Daniel Okultich sings the double role of Johnson and Owen in "Omar"
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Jacqueline Echols sings the role of Julie in "Omar"
“I am still pondering the artistic miracle that unfolded before me... a showcase for the musical genius of Rhiannon Giddens.”
Listen to Rhiannon Giddens perform "Julie's Aria" from Omar below:
Cast
- Omar
- Jamez McCorkle
- Julie
- Jacqueline Echols
- Johnson / Owen
- Daniel Okulitch
- Katie Ellen
- Briana Hunter
- Auctioneer / Taylor
- Barry Banks
- Omar's Brother
- Norman Garrett
Creative Team
- Composer/Librettist
- Rhiannon Giddens
- Composer
- Michael Abels
- Conductor
- Kazem Abdullah
- Director
- Kaneza Schaal
- Production Designer
- Christopher Myers
- Scenery
- Amy Rubin
- Costumes
- April M. Hickman
- Costumes
- Micheline Russell-Brown
- Lighting
- Lucrecia Briceno
- Projections
- Joshua Higgason

Read the synopsis
West Coast premiere
Sung in English with English subtitles.
The estimated running time is two hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission.
Omar is co-produced by Spoleto Festival USA and Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and co-commissioned by LA Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Carolina Performing Arts, Boston Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Omar is inspired by Dr. Ala Alryyes's translation of Omar Ibn Said's autobiography in his book A Muslim American Slave: The Life of Omar Ibn Said.
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