By: Jessica Wang

Soprano Angel Blue recently announced that she would not be performing at Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheater in Verona, Italy. Blue found out that the theater had used blackface on another soprano, Anna Netrebko, this summer.

Blackface is a theatrical type of makeup used to imitate black people and originated in the 19th century. Most of the time, white people would portray them as lazy and insufficient. Now, it is considered highly offensive and worn to mock black people.

Angel Blue said that she does not support the type of makeup, calling it racist, improper, and offensive. Blue was going to make her house debut at Arena di Verona, but she discontinued the association.

“Let me be perfectly clear: the use of blackface under any circumstances, artistic or otherwise, is a deeply misguided practice based on archaic theatrical traditions which have no place in modern society. It is offensive, humiliating, and outright racist,” Blue says.

The Arena has many performances of “Aida,” a show using blackface, coming up. Arena di Verona stated that Angel Blue knew this information when she joined La Traviata to sing.

Arena di Verona offered Blue an invitation to meet with the Arena officials so they could hold a discussion about the issue. The theater also continued to list her as one of the singers to perform on the show.

“Every country has different roots, and their cultural and social structures developed along different historical and cultural paths. Common convictions have often been reached only after years of dialogue and mutual understanding,” the Arena of Verona Foundation states.

The protest was not the first one made at the theater either. In 2019, Tamara Wilson was selected for the role of playing the Ethiopian princess and had to darken her face for the character. Wilson protested against blackface being used on her to sing in the opera as the Ethiopian princess.

Blue protesting at La Triviata made her recognized as a sensational figure for the black community all around the world. Tons of supporters wrote to Blue on social media. Ryan Speedo Green, an opera singer, wrote, “This practice needs to stop and all the artist/administrations who support it should be put on blast so their support of racist practice can be brought to light. Thank you for standing up to us.”

Sources:

(1) https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1658071221266x297454756086492860/Angle%20Blue%20withdraws%20from%20performance%20because%20company%20used%20blackface%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf

(2) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/soprano-angel-blue-withdraws-italy-opera-blackface-controversy-rcna38563

(3) https://nypost.com/2022/07/16/angel-blue-offended-by-blackface-pulls-out-of-italy-opera/