PORGY AND BESS coming to Broadway in December!!!

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 3:39pm

Exciting! http://www.playbill.com/news/article/152294-Norm-Lewis-Audra-McDonald-Porgy-and-Bess-Will-Play-Broadways-Richard-Rodgers-Theatre

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 4:44pm

The proposed changes scare me, especially the jazz oriented orchestral arrangements. Still, the leads are very impressive and I look forward to seeing it, partly out of curiosity concerning the changes and partly because I love the score. Incidentally, of the two recordings that I own one is conducted by the legendary Broadway musical director Lehman Engel. It is a marvelous recording.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 6:04pm

I hate to admit that I have never really heard the music to Porgy and Bess (except maybe for Summertime)... and I just found out the story by clicking playbill article... that being said... I went on itunes to look up recordings and there are too many... so can you guys suggest what I should listen to?? thanks

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 6:43pm

The recording that I mentioned above, the Masterworks Heritage one with Lawrence Winters and Camilla Williams, conducted by Lehman Engel, is a digitally remastered 1951 studio recording that has amazingly good sound and is sung very well. I recommend it. The Houston Grand Opera recording has a Porgy that is good much of the time, but at the ending he cannot sustain the high notes. Otherwise, it is a fine recording. I prefer the first recording.

Updated On: 6/29/11 at 06:43 PM

[pushdabutton]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 6:51pm

Is this new production an opera?

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 7:16pm

That question has been debated. It's premiere was at a Broadway theatre, I think the Alvin ( now the Neil Simon). Porgy and Bess played the Gershwin in the late 1960's when it was definitely considered an opera, or at least a "folk opera". I think it has also been presented at New York's Metropolitan Opera House. This upcoming production seems to be making it more of a Broadway show, according to the article.Maybe the word opera scares people off, and has more snob appeal than "Broadway show".

[rjm516]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 8:07pm

I could not be more excited to see Audra and Norm in a show together, and such a classic show at that. Wow!

Posted: 6/29/11 at 9:24pm

It's perhasp my all time fave score--but I don't quite get the concept. But we'll see (didn't Nunn already try without much success to make a more Broadway style version in the West End?)

The Houston Grand Opera is my fave recording of the complete work (Glyndenbourne's one, which many like, is way too slow and pompous for me, though gorgeously sung) but the best recording, sadly only of highlights, is hands down the Leontyne Price one fromthe 60s (based on a touring production i believe--with the original Sportin' Life. It has amazing sound, and the performances are spot on (although it does annoy me a bit that they give Summertime to Leontyne even though that's not Bess' song, but it's so well sung I guess I can ignore that).

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 10:31pm

Is this new production an opera?

No, it's being "reconceived" as a musical, which concerns me.

But...having the chance to hear Audra and Norm sing together in the same show is enough to make me excited.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 11:51pm

Is Joshua Henry still associated with this?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/30/11 at 12:04am

Is Joshua Henry still associated with this?

Yes. According to the article, he'll be transferring with the show.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 6/30/11 at 12:43am

I am a bit worried about the new adaptation as well, but will be there to see it for sure with this amazing cast.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/30/11 at 12:49am

Never seen the opera, though I know the score very well. This is exciting and will be wonderfully sung.

Posted: 6/30/11 at 1:08am

Wasn't P&G originally performed on Broadway in the 30s with the recitative (sp?) changed to dialogue anyway, which would make it more of a musical (an operatic musical, granted, but) than an opera anyway? (OK, I know it's all semantics, but...) For example, the lyrics are much more of the musical theatre style IMHO than most operas I know--and even when sung, as it usually is, by operatic voices, the lyrics are usually very clear (I love Britten, but when I saw a production of his Turn of the Screw, you needed the surtitles to really make out much of the lyrics, even though it's obviously in English).

Posted: 6/30/11 at 1:08am

Wasn't P&G originally performed on Broadway in the 30s with the recitative (sp?) changed to dialogue anyway, which would make it more of a musical (an operatic musical, granted, but) than an opera anyway? (OK, I know it's all semantics, but...) For example, the lyrics are much more of the musical theatre style IMHO than most operas I know--and even when sung, as it usually is, by operatic voices, the lyrics are usually very clear (I love Britten, but when I saw a production of his Turn of the Screw, you needed the surtitles to really make out much of the lyrics, even though it's obviously in English).