Published in 1962, The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keates, made history as the first mainstream children’s picture book to tell a Black boy’s story. Generations later, it remains a favorite—okay, a classic. Joel Thompson and Andrea Davis Pinkney’s new stage adaptation casts a grownup female soprano as Peter—a time-honored operatic custom surely some in these furiously politicized days must feel is overripe for breaching. But hey, can we not go there? Leading the cast is Raven McMillon, irresistible as Gretel in the company’s streaming Hansel and Gretel of a few months back. Now in her second year in Houston’s young-artists program, she is also a Grand Finals Winner in the Metropolitan Opera’s latest national auditions. And yes, she’s Black, as is her alternate, Flora Hawk, another busy young soprano of impressive credentials. The Snowy Day runs through December 19, but the premiere performance, which streamed live, remains available on demand through January 8, 2022. —M.G.
The Arts Intel Report
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler