We Have Today's Final Jeopardy Answer — The First Entertainer
Updated Aug. 10 2023, 9:46 a.m. ET
Between Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, and Mattea Roach, the last season of Jeopardy! was historic. We're here to share each day's Final Jeopardy clue and answer for the new season.
The Final Jeopardy question is typically when all three contestants face a dilemma: Bet it all or play it safe. For many historic players such as Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer, and recently Amy, the Final Jeopardy question was their downfall.
One of the best parts of Jeopardy! is playing along at home. Since we don't all boast Jeopardy!-level knowledge, it's fun to figure out the Final Jeopardy question before each episode airs.
On August 10, 2023, a re-run of the October 27, 2022 episode airs. Chart caller, writer, and editor Rowan Ward faces off against law student Jack Weller and interpreter Sadie Goldberger.
Here's the clue and answer to the August 10 Final Jeopardy.
What's the answer to the Final Jeopardy for August 10, 2023? The category is "American Composers."
Clue: He turned to opera with the 1903 work Guest of Honor, likely inspired by Booker T. Washington’s dinner at the White House.
Answer: Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin turned to opera with the 1903 work 'Guest of Honor,' likely inspired by Booker T. Washington’s dinner at the White House.
Scott Joplins ragtime tunes make him a household name—from "The Entertainer" to "The Maple Leaf Rag," his piano-driven songs can be recognized from a mile away. But he wasn't just a pianist, he was an opera composer. His first opera was 1903's Guest of Honor, which follows the events of a 1901 dinner at the White House.
In reality, the dinner was hosted by then-President Theodore Roosevelt in honor of Booker T. Washington, a civil rights leader and educator. It's believed that Scott was directly inspired by the events of the dinner and that he wrote the opera shortly after the dinner took place. Even still, Guest of Honor is still considered a work of fiction. The tour of the opera, however, had its fair share of drama.I
It's unknown today if Guest of Honor was performed with an all-Black or mixed cast and no copy of the opera exists. During the tour, someone in the box office stole the receipts, so Scott couldn't pay the company's bills or lodging. All of his belongings, along with a score of Guest of Honor were confiscated, and by Scott's second opera, Treemonisha, he had basically wiped Guest of Honor from existence.
Be sure to tune in to Jeopardy! every weeknight on your local station for more fun trivia.