The Detroit Opera has announced plans to bring a production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera "The Central Park Five" to its 2025 lineup. This opera tells the story of five Black and Latino teens who were wrongly imprisoned for a 1989 rape and beating in New York’s Central Park. The production prominently features Donald Trump as a real estate showman calling for the death penalty.
Commitment to Diversity
Booking this production reflects the opera’s commitment to adding diverse and contemporary stories to its repertoire. Sharon, a representative of the opera, stated:
"As soon as the election happened last November, we did think to ourselves, how can we best prepare our audience and prepare our community to know what they’re about to see when they come to the Detroit opera?"
To prepare patrons for this sensitive topic, the opera will provide warnings outside before each performance. Additionally, an introduction will be given before each show explaining:
- Why "Central Park Five" was written
- Who it is about
- What it means today
- Why it matters now
Background of the Production
"The Central Park Five" debuted at Michigan State University College of Music Theatre Department’s Wharton Center for Performing Arts in 2019 and won its first Pulitzer Prize award two years later. The production has also been performed at:
- Portland Opera House in Oregon
- Long Beach Symphony Association in California
Themes and Controversies
At its heart, the opera explores the events leading up to the arrests, convictions, and imprisonments of:
- Yusef Salaam
- Antron McCray
- Kevin Richardson
- Raymond Santana
- Korey Wise
The teens’ confessions were coerced by police, and the narrative embodies the damage caused by racist beliefs about crime perpetrated by youths of color. Trump’s rhetoric added fuel to the fire, as he took out full-page ads in New York newspapers stating:
"I want to hate these muggers and murderers. They should suffer, killed, executed for their crimes."
Composer Anthony Davis noted that Trump’s words were used directly in the libretto:
"We didn’t make it more critical or less critical. What they did in this piece took Trump’s own words and set them to music. Ninety-five percent of the libretto is directly from the language used."
Community Response
People associated with the production report experiencing no significant backlash. However, some in the arts community have moved forward with performances as a sign of resistance, mirroring artists and productions backing out of performances at the Kennedy Center in protest.
Nathan Granner, who portrayed Korey Wise since the launch, expressed concerns during performances about potential violence:
"Is somebody going to shoot the building? They did very well hiring extra security. I always felt safe."
With performances completed, there are questions about whether this approach to the arts will shape audience interest and reactions to productions that don’t fit the current political climate. Granner stated:
"With the way the political climate is, I don’t really foresee another performance of ‘Central Park Five’ in the next few years. If the opportunity arises, I would reprise the role of Wise."
I’m Mark W. Lamplugh Jr., a visionary Chief Executive Officer, Board Member, and best-selling Author with over 25 years of experience driving significant revenue growth and optimizing ROI across the healthcare, wellness, and media industries. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently transformed underperforming operations into thriving ventures by building top-tier marketing organizations, implementing data-driven strategies, and leading transformational change. My empathetic, collaborative, and adaptable leadership style has allowed me to cultivate inclusive cultures of innovation, develop and retain top talent, and forge strong partnerships that fuel organizational success.
Adept in executive leadership, strategic business planning, and brand and marketing strategy, I have a proven track record of boosting annual revenues—achieving up to $1.3B in oncology over three years and generating $360M in mental health initiatives. My approach combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, as evidenced by my success in launching innovative facilities, expanding services for addiction and mental health care, and enhancing organizational brand visibility. As author of “The AI Marketing Playbook,” I contribute thought leadership on the integration of artificial intelligence in marketing, a role that showcases my commitment to staying at the forefront of industry innovation.
I also bring my insights and expertise to a broad audience as the host of cable tv & global streaming of “Street Level Marketing Show,” while my writing has been featured in major publications such as Entrepreneur, Business.com, The Startup, and Kivo Daily. Whether I’m implementing targeted digital marketing campaigns that engage over a million individuals monthly or overseeing multi-million dollar budgets to maximize return on investment, I approach every challenge with a combination of strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and unwavering dedication. Above all, I am passionate about expanding access to high-quality addiction and mental health care through innovative solutions that drive both patient outcomes and organizational growth.
Mark serves on the board of One World for Life, National Fire Heritage Center, and the Institute for Responder Wellness.
Mark (https://marklamplugh.com) is one of the top marketing executives in the United States and has revolutionized how companies reach potential clients thru influence, SEO, social, PR, and traditional marketing. His expertise in Marketing, Social Media, Digital Marketing, and Public Relations has generated millions of dollars in revenue for several national companies. Mark documents many of his techniques in his book “Beginners Guide to Social & Digital Media.” and “Marketing Playbook for Social Media,” which was named the top 100 social media marketing books of all time by Book Authority. He’s also a professional advocate for the behavioral and mental health of firefighters and other first responders. Marks articles have been published in Better Marketing, Startup Magazine, Social Media Today, Kivo Daily, Biz Catalyst 360, Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, and several others.
One of his companies, niches, are marketing products and services to the public safety industry and their employees, specifically mental & behavioral health services. He can be reached for comment at ceo@influencemediasolutions.com
23,000 #1 Connections, 40,000,000 US B2B Contacts and 300,000,000 B2b/B2C email contacts as well as 1,000,000+ monthly social media reach. https://marklamplugh.com
