Soprano Latonia Moore scheduled return to Los Angeles and debut at the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert, June 29, 2020 rests with issues surrounding the coronavirus disease. In 2012, with one days notice, Latonia Moore made her spectacular debut at the Metropolitan Opera in the leading role of Verdi’s AIDA. Latonia Moore is schedule to sing AIDA again Oct 13, 17, 20, and 24, 2020 at the Metropolitan Opera.
Recalling a historical footnote, the great contralto Marian Anderson turned down an opportunity to debut at the Metropolitan Opera in the role of AIDA because she did not want her debut to be in a racially stereotyped role. Consequently, Marian Anderson debut at the Metropolitan Opera did not came until 1955 at 58 years of age in the role of ULRICA in Giuseppe Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera. ULRICA is a fortune teller (witch) who Verdi noted should be portrayed as a “Negro”.