Porgy and Bess

Porgy and Bess
Aurora Fox Theater
Aurora, CO
November 25, 2016 - January 1, 2017

Porgy and Bess is an icon in American musical theater. George and Ira Gershwin’s 1934 opera was the first to feature and entirely African American cast. It was an important step in theater as well as in American society. Despite the importance of the piece, it is rarely performed.

The script the Fox team used is a 2011 adaptation by Suzan-Lori Parks, which transformed the opera into a musical and widened the scope of characters. Despite the adaptation, the story is full of stereotype characters: crippled beggar, drug addicted floozy, criminal kingpin, religious zealot, bossy wife, flashy drug dealer. However, the performances from this incredibly talented cast bring a realism to these roles that overcomes the caricature roots.

In the hands of the Fox creative team, Porgy and Bess is not a racial story. It's a human story. Race does have a place in the story in a few places when the white police officers show up. In those few scenes a real tension is on display. But for the rest of the show, the characters are just people living their lives.

The costumes only enhance the realism of these characters. They could wear the same outfits for the entire show, but they don’t. At the community picnic everyone wears their Sunday best, and it’s a delight to see. And after the picnic they returned to everyday clothes, but not the ones from the day before – just as real people do.

The set is more suggestive than realistic, but it takes the audience into Catfish Row – a simple community. Porgy’s home is completely closed to us – highlighting this private man. The lighting and sound crew are able to transport us to the ocean.

In the center of all this phenomenal staging is the music. The Gershwin score is amazing to begin with. But in the hands of the Fox’ music director it soars to heights even the composers would love. Each performers voice was strong and up to the challenging music. The harmonies created by this team were beautiful. The duets between Porgy and Bess are not traditional – they usually end up singing separately in time and those parts were in perfect balance.

Porgy and Bess will likely never escape the controversy that has always surrounded it. Some audience members may be bothered by the stereotypical nature of the characters, the drug use or the violence. Despite these concerns, the Fox has created a valuable theatrical experience – both socially and artistically.