Bradford Opera Festival Archives

Chisholm for President! is a brand-new musical inspired by the remarkable journey of the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress, and who then dared to run for the Democratic nomination for President in 1972. Playwright Zodwa Nyoni has teamed up with Leeds based rapper Testament to develop a musical that traces Shirley Chisholm’s life as the daughter of immigrants who then battled racism and misogyny to win a seat in Congress. Chisholm was known for her advocacy on behalf of women, minorities, stood with the gay community, was way ahead of her time on environmental protections, fought against child poverty and was noted for her opposition to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Chisholm served in Congress for seven terms before passing away in 200...

The opening event of the newly created Bradford Opera Festival is the world premiere of a Yorkshire dialect version of The Barber of Seville. To make this happen the festival team have been working with legendary Yorkshire poet Ian McMillan and conductor Ben Crick, who has long had a dream to stage a version of Rossini’s classic tale of class, lust and betrayal performed in the local vernacular. Alex Chisholm who has been a stalwart of the Bradford artistic scene for many years is directing, and she told our Features Editor Paul Clarke why this festival will help democratise a misunderstood art form for local audiences. Of all the great operas, why did you choose The Barber of Seville? This really came from Ben, and he has had this dream for the last 20 years, so it's not just...

Tag: Bradford Opera Festival

Zodwa Nyoni talks about new musical Chisholm for President!

Bradford Opera Festival stage The Barber of Seville…but with a distinctive local twist