Leah-Simone Bowen on reviving Scott Joplin’s ‘lost opera’
Q | Jun 9, 2023
The famous ragtime composer Scott Joplin penned an opera titled “Treemonisha” in 1911, but he never lived to see it performed. After his death, the work was considered a ‘lost opera,’ but now, a century after his passing, it’s being performed in Toronto. Writer, producer and podcast host Leah-Simone Bowen has reimagined “Treemonisha” for 2023. She tells Tom why Joplin’s opera was innovative for its time, and how she decided to adapt it for a modern audience.
