MAMA’s ambassadors were at the forefront of a historic city-wide activation for the Opening Night of Metropolitan Opera 2021-2022 Season. Not only was the opening a long awaited re-introduction to live opera after the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was the Met’s first performance of an opera by a Black Composer, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, composed by Terence Blanchard. The Met offered a new way to experience the historic Opening Night from outside the opera house with a simulcast in Times Square and Marcus Garvey Park’s Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Harlem. Both live stream viewings were free and open to the public.
A team of 24 MAMA brand ambassadors were active all day in multiple locations surrounding Times Square and Marcus Garvey Park sporting shirts with the opera’s popular quote, “Bend Don’t Break”. In addition to providing a team of approachable and arts-passionate ambassadors who distributed nearly 8,000 fliers and answered the questions of patrons and passing pedestrians, our social media team was on-site to capture the historic event. MAMA’s content team captured exciting moments in creative ways, such as a timelapse of the Times Square venue being assembled, photos and video footage of the massive billboard screen facing Duffy Square being tested, patrons entering the space, the red carpet, the energetic first applause at the sight of Conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and photos of the interactions between the MAMA brand ambassadors and excited patrons. With the MAMA digital media team on site, we were able to provide real-time content for the Metropolitan Opera’s social media team to post on their social media channels immediately to showcase the excitement across the city that was building as curtain time approached.
Positive interactions between the residents of Harlem and MAMA ambassadors reinforced the import history being made by Fire Shut Up In My Bones. Upon sharing that the free viewing was the Met’s first performance of an opera by a Black composer, our team received responses like, “I’m a member of the MET and I’m so happy they are starting the season with an opera composed by Terence Blanchard. I’m a big fan and can’t wait to see it”, and an inspiring comment from the mother of a young Black musician, who brought her son to show him what’s possible if you keep practicing.
MAMA Street Team Ambassador shows off the MET Opera's showbill for "Bend, Don't Break"
Screen test of the Duffy Square electronic billboard where the livestream broadcasted.
theatreMAMA’s team of Ambassadors on the red carpet in Times Square for the opening night of the MET Opera.