Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"..."The Champion" originated at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 2013 but is now a co-production with New York's Metropolitan Opera, which staged Robinson's version last spring. I'd argue that there is a section of Act 2 that doesn't entirely work: Griffith's transition from spiraling fighter to dementia sufferer is too abrupt to make sense, reliant as it is on one quick scene with his professional handler, Howie Albert (the fine tenor Paul Groves). But that's a minor issue, given the richness of this expressionistic production, the cohesion of which flows from how well Moyer, lighting designer Donald Holder and costumer Montana Levi Blanco connect Griffith's pain into their visual environments."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...What does work well is the creative interplay between the "old" and "young" versions of Griffith (really two voices in the aging fighter's mind) who are seen often together onstage, and the use of an old-fashioned boxing ring announcer (the wonderful Chicago actor Larry Yando) as a kind of narrator with sometimes comic-tinged patter."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...Griffith’s life story as crafted by Blanchard and Cristofer also serves as a historical shorthand of sorts for gay culture (closeted and otherwise) in New York. Early on in the first act, he seeks out a hidden gay nightclub, Hagen’s Hole, run by brassy Kathy Hagen (contralto Meredith Arwady in a showy comic turn; longtime Chicago favorite Larry Yando in the nonsinging role of a fight announcer is the other comic relief in the opera). In the second act, Austin’s Griffith is attacked outside a gay bar—an assault that left the real Griffith hospitalized for four months in 1992."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...Director James Robinson fleshes out a magnificent story with evolving sets by Allen Moyer and fantastic costumes by Montana Levi Blanco. Enrique Mazzola batons the rich score that blends classical forms with jazz seamlessly. Camille A. Brown’s choreography is outstanding, creating gay bar scenes and city frenzy. Chuck Coyl’s violence choreography and Jyreika Guest’s intimacy direction are essential to understanding the inherent physicality of this tale."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Champion succeeds on the strength of its singing actors, and the interplay between the old and young Emiles is the emotional core of the show. Though he remained a hero in the boxing world even as brain damage led him to decline and retire, Old Emille continued to be haunted by his guilt over Paret’s death and was never safe from homophobic violence. Neither Emile as an old or young man can help the other fully decide whether it was all worth it, but they do build up to one of the most cathartic endings I’ve experienced through this genre."
WTTW - Highly Recommended
"...It is an absolute knockout — both literally and figuratively. And that is the most concise way to describe “Champion,” the physically, emotionally and musically stunning work now on the Lyric Opera stage."
Chicago Theatre Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...Whether you are, like me, a boxing fan or unalterably opposed to that primal sport for its bloody brutality, if you’re planning to see Champion, the Lyric Opera’s “opera in jazz,” it’s essential to first view a certain grainy black-and-white video available on YouTube. It depicts one of the absolute low points in the history of the sport, Emile Griffith’s fatal beating of Cuban boxer Benny Paret in their third fight; the actual footage of Paret’s slow collapse under a barrage of 29 unanswered punches from Griffith is an important corrective to the awkwardly aestheticized and distanced version of that event that is intended to be the dramatic turning point of Champion."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...From the sunny shores of St. Thomas to the gritty streets of New York, from the violent brutality of the boxing ring to the raucous gay bar scene in the mid-1960s, Lyric Opera's Champion is a sweeping saga of one man's search for redemption and his true sexual identity. With music composed by Grammy Award-winner Terence Blanchard and libretto by Tony Award-winning Michael Cristofer, Champion is an emotional tour de force that draws the audience in from the opening curtain to its final notes."
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...Champion is the story of welterweight boxer Emile Griffith's career in boxing with a life-defining fatal bout in 1962 against Benny "Kid" Paret. I believe that an opera in jazz is the perfect format for telling a story filled with violence, sex, and the hustle for love and respect. This was jazz great Terence Blanchard's first opera before Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which played at Lyric and The Met in 2023. The libretto for Champion is written by Michael Cristofer with all of the beauty and rawness of Black immigrant culture. It is flawlessly directed by James Robinson with equally flawless conducting by Enrique Mazzola."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"..."Champion" is a testament to Lyric Opera's commitment to fostering modern work. The accessible storyline set in the world of sports serves as a powerful vehicle to address broader societal themes, challenging audiences to contemplate the essence of masculinity."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...“Champion,” by composer Terence Blanchard and librettist Michael Cristofer, is just this kind of fine tragic opera—soulful and devastating. Directed by James Robinson, who also steered its 2013 St. Louis debut, “Champion” tells the sad, true story of Emile Griffith, a boxing champ who threw a fatal punch in the ring in 1962 after being taunted for being gay by his rival. Throughout the opera, Emile wrestles with guilt over both the death and shame over his sexuality."
Rollingout - Highly Recommended
"...Champion is an exploration of life’s multifaceted journey, portrayed through the lens of Griffith’s three life stages. We see Griffith as a tormented boy in St. Thomas, a vigorous young boxing champion in New York City, and finally, as an elderly man grappling with dementia. This narrative structure allows the audience to traverse time and emotion, witnessing the transformation of dreams, the consequences of choices, and the relentless march of time."