Friday, June 5th’s Staying Alive video features soprano Adrienne Danrich singing “Genius Child,” a musical setting of the poem of the same name by Langston Hughes. She is accompanied by the song’s composer, Drew Hemenger, on the piano.
Adrienne Danrich, the celebrated soprano, writer, poet, composer, and educator, last wowed Tulsa audiences when she sang the title role of Aida in 2013. She would have starred in Tulsa Opera’s 2021 production of the now-postponed Awakenings.
Langston Hughes was an American poet and a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. He is best known for his portrayals of black life in America and the wounds caused by injustice. Hughes addressed his poetry to the people, using emotions, thoughts, and dreams that he saw common to all human beings.
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