Three Mo’ Tenors bring Black History Month at Town Hall Education, Arts and Recreation Campus to a rousing finale in a program that traces four hundred years of the African-American musical experience. The evening opens with opera and segues into jazz, gospel, soul, spirituals, R&B, Broadway and the blues.
Funded by William C. Smith & Co. through the nonprofit organization, Building Bridges Across the River, THEARC opened in 2005 to provide services to Southeast Washington. Throughout this week, free programs have celebrated key events in Black History. Allproceeds from the Three Mo’ Tenors concert, the culminating event, will benefit the One In a Million Campaign, launched to support THEARC financially.
“This event is especially meaningful to me because it’s the neighborhood where I grew up,” says tenor Duane A. Moody, a graduate of Peabody Conservatory of Music with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in vocal performance and a graduate performance diploma in operatic studies. “I’ve sung here for years, so coming home with the ensemble brings back all those memories.
“When I was growing up and attending D.C. public schools, my voice had a different timbre than the other kids and my phrasing was longer,” he says. “I fell in love with opera watching a large-scale production of ‘Aida’ in Pittsburgh with Grace Bumbry and live elephants.”
His mother, Linda Moody, was a past president of the D.C. School Board. He recalls how proud she was when he made his professional recital debut in October 1997 at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater.
Soon afterward, he made his professional stage debut at the IV Festival des Artes in Itu, Brazil, as Sportin’ Life in Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” Since then, he has embraced the role as his own, starring in overseas productions of the opera in Singapore, China, Japan, Israel, England, Ireland, Austria, Sweden and Scotland and in this country with the Delaware Opera, Des Moines Opera and Orlando Opera.
Moody’s tenor colleagues are Victor Robertson from Atlanta and Washington native James Berger Jr.
Robertson received the 2005 Ovation Award, a 2006 Richard Tucker Award nomination and rave reviews as Rodolfo in Francesca Zambello’s production of “La Bohème” at the Royal Albert Hall in London this past winter and as Tybalt in “Romeo et Juliet” at the 2006 Spoleto Festival.
Berger, a graduate of Catholic University, became a chorister with the Washington National Opera Company at age 21. Under the guidance of Plàcido Domingo, he has performed numerous roles and toured Japan with Domingo, José Carreras and Veronica Villoreal.
“The opportunity to study Domingo’s acting and singing techniques has been a great learning experience and training ground,” he says. “I began singing at age 2 and loved playing thousands of records my dad brought back from Germany, where he was a deejay in the service.
“Opera is my passion, but I enjoy singing all genres. Although learning the choreography for our shows was tough in the beginning, I’m told everyone loves our vitality.”
IF YOU GO:
» Three Mo’ Tenors
When: 7 p.m.
Venue: THEARC Theater, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE, Washington
Tickets: $25, with all proceeds benefiting the One In a Million Campaign for THEARC
Information: 202-4-THEARC or 202-889-5901; visit thearcdc.org
