Just back from the first preview of PORGY AND BESS....

How was the physical production? From the pictures it looks rather dull and boring, but maybe it's just the pictures.

looking forward to seeing this and like timote 316 - not familiar with the oprea, in the least bit...amazing cast and talented director have me itching to see this

the pics i saw def made the production seem intimate and not over produced - just thoughtfuly designed. not familiar with the space at ART - i've only been there once, over ten years ago...

1. It was a real baby, and he was awake the whole song, captivated by the conductor. According to the program, it was one of NaTasha Yvette Williams's twin boys. Cute, but distracting to be honest.

And since SPOILERS were requested....
2. I wouldn't call it a happy ending, really. I read a synopsis of the original ending... and it's not drastically different. Bess doesn't leave Porgy exactly, she's effectively kicked out of the town. The show ends with Porgy venturing out to join her. To me, the ending used is much more effective for the characters.

Updated On: 8/18/11 at 01:19 AM

Really? We need a real baby now?

henrik, do you not find that change to the ending to be significant?

Also, will they release the twins' performance schedules for anyone who would like to see both of them?

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RE: P&B, opera or musical. This debate goes back to the original production, to which the Times sent both their drama critic and music critic. The film version definitely presented it as a musical. Guess you might say that it's a musical with too much music or an opera with too much dialogue. It's still a masterpiece, no matter which way you slice it.

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I'm going to see this in a couple of weeks. Thanks for posting your review timote316.

I guess I am surprised by the number of admissions of "not being familiar" with "Porgy and Bess." To me, that's like not being familiar with "Hamlet".

No criticism or judgment of any individual intended, believe me. Guess I am just getting way old.

"henrik, do you not find that change to the ending to be significant?"

I haven't seen the new production and don't know exactly what the ending is, even on paper, let alone how it plays.

SPOILERS... the new ending.

Sporting Life sings of the boat to NY and how it'll be a better life for Bess, but Bess rejects him. Sporting Life insists she think about it, gives her the money for the boat and some happy dust (which she flat out refuses, but he forces into her pocket book). Porgy returns from prison, finds the happy dust, and accuses Bess of returning to her old ways. The people of Catfish Row side with Porgy, and she flees from the town (referring to the townspeople as "country bitches", as jlbpr00 referenced). When the townspeople all but celebrate, Porgy realizes how happy Bess made him, so he too leaves, taking off to find his Bess once more.

I only know the original ending from a synopsis I read, but to me, this ending is much more... fulfilling.

Total speculation on my part, but this new ending, as described, sounds like a star performer was worried her character wasn't sufficiently sympathetic.

Again "as decribed", all the new ending does is take all the responsibility away from Bess. Sportin' Life forces money on her; she's not to blame. Sportin' Life forces drugs on her; she's not to blame. Porgy and the townspeople reject her; again and still, she's not to blame.

I don't think this is a crisis in Western civilization. It's just the sort of shallow whitewash of a character that is often demanded by movie stars who want to play melodrama heros instead of complex tragic characters.

I can't help but notice the irony that after all the talk about cardboard characters, this ending seems to make Bess less complex rather than more.

Again, total speculation on my part. Ms. MacDonald may have had nothing to do with it. But I kind of doubt that.

"I only know the original ending from a synopsis I read, but to me, this ending is much more... fulfilling."


I don't know. The original ending has proved to be pretty fulfilling over the years. It makes me sob every time I've seen it, and generally I'm not the only one with that response.