After reading DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy in 1924, Gershwin was determined to adapt it for the stage. Porgy describes the milieu of the Gullah community in Charleston, S.C. Inspired by the community of Catfish Row, Gershwin captured the impulse and bodily rhythms of the black south.
The show opened on Broadway in 1934 but lost its funding after just 124 performances. It was revived in 1985 by the Metropolitan Opera, and the timeless songs survived.
Since 1992, The Peter Klein/Living Arts, Inc. production has toured five continents. The New York-based Production Company has brought Porgy and Bess and other productions to cities around the world.
"Porgy and Bess is recognized as an American masterpiece, a story that entwines pride, prejudice, pathos and passion though jazz and blues influence," said Jennifer Hoyt, production coordinator for Living Arts, Inc.
"It was originally billed as a 'folk opera' and stunned music and drama critics alike at its premiere in 1935," she added.
Porgy and Bess tells a moving story of a disabled man, Porgy, who witnesses a murder during a dice game, and later gives shelter to the murderer's woman, the stunningly beautiful but haunted Bess. The plot thickens when the murderer comes back for Bess and Porgy kills him while defending her.
The triumph turns to tragedy, though, when a drug dealer seduces Bess with "happy dust" and takes her away to New York to resume her career as a prostitute.
"Bess is a complicated character who needs to have a man in her life to feel validated," said Jerris Cates, the actress who plays Bess.
Hoyt said the show is directed by Will Roberson and features a 14-piece orchestra under the musical direction of Zoltan Papp.
"The producers of Porgy and Bess have filled the cast with outstanding operatic singers from all over the United States," she added.
Sullivan noted that many students would recognize the show's music.
"American Idol fans will recall Fantasia Barrino's very special rendition of 'Summertime' that brought the judges to tears and clinched her the coveted title last season," Sullivan said.
Both Sullivan and Cates said the play would be perfect for a college-aged audience.
"It's a story that's as relevant now as well when it was written," Cates said. "It's all about identifiable characters; girls who wear flashy clothes to be accepted, the drug dealer, the bully, and most importantly, the one who is down with love."
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