In the mid-20th Century, NC-born Mary Cardwell Dawson founded the National Negro Opera Company, the most successful Afri...

In the mid-20th Century, NC-born Mary Cardwell Dawson founded the National Negro Opera Company, the most successful African American opera company in the US. The new opera The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson tells the story of a pivotal night in the company’s career, in which storms force a move of their production of Carmen from a barge on the Potomac into a segregated hall. Starring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, written by Mark Twain Award-winning playwright Sandra Seaton, with selections from the repertory of the National Negro Opera Company and original music from Grammy-nominated composer Carlos Simon, The Passion of Mary Cardwell promises to be a show to remember! Performances will be held in the A..J. Fletcher Opera Theater of Raleigh’s Martin Marietta Center, Dec. 13 - 15. Learn more at the link in our bio. alt. text: collage of a woman’s headshot and the Lincoln Memorial, overlayed with diagonal translucent color bands and informational text about the opera. @northcarolinaopera