Arts Features

WXXI Classical host Kearstin Piper Brown stars in "Intimate Apparel" at Lincoln Center

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM

Published February 2, 2022 at 12:06 PM EST

Kearstin Piper Brown and Arnold Livingston Geis in Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater

Ricky Ian Gordon's opera Intimate Apparel, based on the play of the same name by Lynn Nottage, opened at Lincoln Center this week after a nearly two-year hiatus. WXXI Classical's part time host Kearstin Piper Brown leads the cast in the role of Esther, a lonely, single African-American woman who makes her living sewing beautiful corsets and ladies' intimate undergarments.

The New York Times theater review states that "Esther (Kearstin Piper Brown) has the discipline and drive to make a career of her handiwork."

One of America's most prolific composers, Opera News states that Ricky Ian Gordon has two world premieres in New York City this season, one being Intimate Apparel. The NYT review goes on to describe Gordon's composition as a "lush yet intricate score, which soars into the timeless atmosphere of operatic writing," and of lead Kearstin Piper Brown, "is especially heartbreaking as Esther — and astonishingly tireless in a huge role."
Read the full NYT theater review.