Organized in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, under the direction of Mary Cardwell Dawson,[1] the company was launched with a performance at the local Syria Mosque.

The star was La Julia Rhea, and other members included Minto Cato, Carol Brice, Robert McFerrin, and Lillian Evanti.

During its 21-year run, NNOC also mounted productions in Washington D.C., New York City, and Chicago.

[3][4] After the Opera departed, the building transitioned into a social hub and boarding house known as Mystery Manor, often hosting visiting celebrities and athletes who were excluded from the local segregated hotels.

Purchased in 2000 by Pittsburgh residents Jonnet Solomon and Miriam White, after years of plans to transform the historic building into a museum and arts center, it remains dilapidated.