Conceived by Davóne Tines and Zack Winokur
Directed by Zack Winokur

Part of Hancher's 52nd Season

Co-commissioned by Hancher Auditorium 

American bass-baritone Davóne Tines—heralded by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the most powerful voices of our time”—brings together opera, art song, contemporary classical, spirituals, gospel, and songs of protest to tell his deeply personal story of perseverance in ways that embrace all of humanity.

In the Hancher co-commissioned work ROBESOИ, Tines grapples with the legacy of the famed Paul Robeson—a singer, activist, and political exile. Exploring the musical repertoire of Robeson, Tines and his band The Truth take us on a trip from the stage of Carnegie Hall to the floor of a Moscow hotel room, in an attempt to understand an icon by connecting with his vulnerability rather than aspiring to his monumentality.

“Tines is as mesmerizing as a singer can be. In his Mass, comfort and discomfort are intense. His voice can fill a space and then some, ringing gloriously but also, under pressure, distorting (you might even say queering) the very space he commanded.” — Los Angeles Times

PROGRAM: 
Alfred HAYES / Earl ROBINSON: “Joe Hill”
Traditional: “Balm in Gilead”
Traditional: “Volga Boat Song”
Johann Sebastian BACH: “Christ lag in Todesbanden”
Monologue from Shakespeare’s Othello
Oscar HAMMERSTEIN II / Richard RODGERS: “Some Enchanted Evening”
Traditional: “Scandalize My Name” (Part 1)
Traditional: “This is the Hammer”
Traditional: “Scandalize My Name” (Part 2)
Albert E. BRUMLEY: “Fly Away”
Traditional: “Nobody Knows”
Abel MEEROPOL / Earl ROBINSON: “The House I Live In”
Traditional: “Let It Shine”
Oscar HAMMERSTEIN II / Richard RODGERS: “Old Man River”
 

ROBESOИ was originally commissioned, developed, and produced by Little Island, Artistic Director Zack Winokur, Executive Director Laura Clement with support from the Ford Foundation, ROBESOИ was funded by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and commission support from Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa, and with deepest gratitude to Julie Mehretu, Kurt Chauviere, Shelly Hazel, Karen Molleson, the Steve Novick Charitable Gift Fund, Susan Baker, Noreen Buckfire, Paul Buttenweiser, Ellen Rosenau, Mary T Schneider, and Eli Wald.

This performance will be presented in a thrust configuration (seating on three sides); capacity is 226. All seating will be set up on the Hadley stage. This configuration is used primarily for daring, intimate, and immediate performance.

Davóne Tines Website

HANCHER EVENT PARTNERS
Mary K. Calkin (1925–2024)
Michael S. & Renee Favo
Mark & Fran Lundy
Gary & Nancy Pacha