The creative team molded their respective idioms to Joplin’s own so closely that, at times, one had to strain torecall which material was original and which was added. The biggest points of departure were also the opera’s most pleasurable. 

Chicago Southsider attended Black Carpet Night at Scott Joplin's Treemonisha, where resilience, identity, and cultural restoration took center stage.

The 20-member cast, including eight principals is largely effective, with Canadian soprano Neema Bickersteth (Treemonisha) admirably anchoring the production with clear, clarion singing and a grounded acting style. Other stand-outs include Cedric Berry (Zodzerick), with his expressive bass-baritone voice and easy stage manner, and SATE (Nana), a Toronto-based rock and AfroPunk singer with an agile, high-powered, pop-inflected style.