Next week, Tulsa Opera’s special baseball-themed Rigoletto will premiere at ONEOK Field on October 9!
Verdi’s classic opera has been completely reimagined to take full advantage of its new setting in a baseball diamond, which will also allow for socially distanced seating in safer open-air conditions.
Interested? Grab your tickets now, starting at just $25!
Meet another of the opera stars bringing this unique production to life:
Morris Robinson as Sparafucile
Having been praised for his “firm, opulent tone” by The Classical Review and “an extraordinary blend of power and fluidity” by SFGate.com, bass Morris Robinson has become a powerhouse in the opera world. But unlike many opera singers, he didn’t start out with the goal of singing opera for his career, although he sang regularly throughout his life. Rather, Robinson wanted to play football.
He played for the Citadel, a military college in South Carolina, as an offensive lineman who was voted All American three times. But despite being 6’2″ and 290 pounds, he was too small to make the transition to the NFL.
After spending some time in the corporate world and singing mostly at friends’ weddings, Robinson applied to Boston University’s Opera Institute and was accepted. His first performance was in Aida with the Boston Lyric Opera, singing the role of the king.
Since then, he’s performed on opera stages all around the world, and now he’ll be joining Tulsa Opera’s historic Rigoletto performance as Sparafucile. Normally an assassin, Sparafucile has been reimagined as an umpire in this version.
Get a taste of Robinson’s voice in this clip from Don Carlo, and don’t forget to get your tickets for Rigoletto next week to hear him in person!