Porgy and Bess

1935-10-10. The cast of Porgy and Bess during the Boston try-out prior to the Broadway opening. [1]

Porgy and Bess is an opera with music by George Gershwin, based on the novel Porgy by DuBose Heyward about African American life in the ficticious locale Catfish Row. "Summertime" and "I loves you, Porgy" are the most recognized of its songs.

Racism

The play is notable for it's racism. The Nigro Repetory Theater of Seattle refused its producton throuh a whisper campeigh. George Hood the Washington State administrator for the Federal Theater Project said "The play is something that reall is not wanted in Seattle or any other place. It is too degrading... Any play that is elevating to the race, we have no objections to.. But there is nothing to be gained from Porgy. In Porgy the word 'Nigger' is used consistantly, and that is something the general population is not going to tolerate. We do not need Porgy" Another issue was dialect. African Americans in Seattle had to attend Dialect lessons. Administrators of the Federal Theater Project said "Colored people in Seattle don't speak Black enough. We need this to be authentic. "

Plot

The notable emotional and narrative elements are in the crafted details of the work as a whole, however the main plot points provide important context. Heyward's story follows the crippled Porgy who must move around in a goat cart to make up for his disability. He falls in love with the woman Bess who is already involved with the character Crown. Bess eventually falls in love, angering Crown. Eventually, Porgy kills Crown in a stabbing incident which erupts in a fight between the two; for this he is sent to prison. Sportin Life and Bess flee to New York; upon his release, Porgy heads to New York to find her.

Act I

• Scene 1 - Catfish Row, a summer evening.
• Scene 2 - Serena's Room, the following night

Act II

• Scene 1 - Catfish Row, a month later, in the morning
• Scene 2 - Kittiwah Island, that evening.
• Scene 3 - Catfish Row, a week later, just before dawn.
• Scene 4 - Serena's Room, dawn of the next day.

Act III

• Scene 1 - Catfish Row, the next night.
• Scene 2 - Catfish Row, the next afternoon.
• Scene 3 - Catfish Row, a week later.

Historical overview

The libretto was by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The opera was originally advertised as "An American folk Opera".

Productions

In September 1935, the opera premiered in Boston, then on October 10, 1935 at the Alvin Theater in New York City. The first production was not financially successful, but highly critically and publically acclaimed. The original production included:

• Todd Duncan as "Porgy"
• Anne Brown as "Bess"
• John W. Bubbles as "Sportin' Life"
• Warren Coleman as "Crown"
• Henry Davis as "Robins"
• Ruby Elzy as "Serena", Robins' wife
• Abbie Mitchell as "Clara"
• Edward Matthews as "Jake", Clara's husband
• Helen Dowdy as the "Strawberry Woman"
• J. Rosamond Johnson as the lawyer
• Georgette Harvey as Maria
• The Eva Jessye Choir, lead by Eva Jessye
• Rouben Mammoulian, producer and director
• Alexander Smallens, conductor

In about 1938, the original cast reunited for a West coast revival; the exception being that Avon Long took on the role of Sportin Life. Long continued to reprise his role in several of the following productions. A condensed version was performed in 1942 with a reduced cast and a number of musical pieces were removed. This version was a financial success—having died in 1937, Gershwin didn't live to see this success—and touring commenced for months followed by a 1943 Broadway run. During this period, the original cast began to leave their roles making room for new singers. In March 1943, the opera debuted for the first time in Europe at Copenhagen. Another revival in 1952 had a notable new cast of principle characters: Leontyne Price as Bess, William Warfield as Porgy, and Cab Calloway as Sportin' Life; this ensemble commenced touring for four years. This prominent cast toured Europe making Porgy and Bess the first American Opera appearance in Italy's La Scala; another groundbreaking performance took place in the then Soviet Union.

Other historically relevant revivals occurred in 1961 as well as in 1964, but more important was the Broadway bicentennial production that began September 25, 1976. This performance was by the Houston Grand Opera company. As even the first production had excised and adapted some material to be financially feasible, this was the historical first performance which included the original uncut full score by Gershwin. The spoken dialogue was, as originally intended, done recitatively. Edward Matthews, famous for creating the role of "St. Ignatius" in Virgil Thompson's Four Saints in Three Acts played Porgy in this run.

Helen Dowdy performed as the Strawberry Woman in the productions 1935, 1942, 1952 and 1964. Another Broadway production was staged in 1983. Other important productions were the 1985 Metropolitan Opera and 1987 Houston revivals. The centennial celebration of the Gershwin brothers from 1996–1998 included a new production as well. The constant revival of the opera and inclusion of old and new cast members allowed for the forming of traditions that were passed down from the experience cast members.

Musical elements

In the summer of 1934, George Gershwin worked on the opera in Charleston, South Carolina. His inspiration drew from the James Island Gullahs who he felt had traditions that were reminiscent of Africa. This research added to the authenticity of his work.

The music itself reflects his New York jazz roots, but are portrayals of the southern black traditions. Gershwin modeled the pieces after each type of folk song that the composer knew about; jubilees, blues, praying songs, street cries, work songs, and spirituals are blended with traditional arias and recitatives. The themes themselves are not folk melodies, but draw inspiration from them in such a way that genuine folk music is recalled successfully.

The Opera includes many famous songs, many of which became standards in jazz, blues and traditional opera singers:

• Summertime, Clara's famed opening lullaby
• My Man's Gone Now, Serena's lamenting aria after Robbins' murder by Crown
• I Got Plenty of Nuttin, Porgy's song
• Oh, I Can't Sit Down, ensemble
• Bess, You Is My Woman Now, a duet by the title characters
• It Ain't Neccessarily So, Sportin' Life's comedic tune
• Oh, Doctor Jesus, ensemble

Incarnations

• Porgy, 1925 novel by DuBose Heyward
• Porgy, 1927 Theater Guild dramatization by DuBose Heyward & Dorothy Heyward
• Porgy and Bess, 1935 opera by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward
• Porgy and Bess, 1958-59 Miles Davis and Gil Evans recorded their interpretation of the George Gershwin/DuBose Heyward/Ira Gershwin opera. The CD was reissued in 1997 by Columbia (CK 65141) with 2 bonus tracks
• Porgy and Bess, 1959 musical film directed by Otto Preminger, starring Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge in the title roles.

Film

In 1959, a film version was produced starring Robert McFerrin and Adele Addison as the singing voices for Porgy and Bess as portrayed by Poitier and Dandridge. Sammy Davis Jr. takes on the role of Sportin' Life, and Pearl Bailey is Maria. Loulie Jean Norman does the singing voice for Diahann Carroll's Clara, while Inez Matthews—sister of the original production's Jake, Edward Matthews—sings for Ruth Attaway's Serena .

External links

• Porgy and Bess at classical.net
• Hypertext edition of the novel Porgy

References

The Music of Black Americans: A History. Eileen Southern. W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd edition. ISBN 0393971414