This Thanksgiving weekend Chicago opera-goers have something to be thankful for: Lyric Opera of Chicago has, for the first time in its 54 year history, produced George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, arguably the greatest American opera. What has taken Lyric so long?
I think that elitism certainly plays a part. An opera, composed by George Gershwin—best known for his popular songs, set among poor Southern blacks in the early part of the 20th century, incorporating jazz, blues, spirituals, and folk melodies, and sung in dialect just isn’t the normal fare for Lyric Opera, whose programming runs heavily to Verdi and Puccini. On the other hand, I Pagliacci is set among working Italians of the last century while Cavalleria Rusticana is set among peasant Sicilians and incorporates hymns and Sicilian folk melodies. Both are part of this year’s schedule and both have been performed frequently over the years. Presumably, being sung in Italian somehow elevates these works.
In fairness Porgy and Bess presents an opera company was certain challenges. It demands an all-black cast and although I don’t know of this for sure I presume there are labor relations issues in bringing in a substitute chorus. That might increase the costs.
Whatever the reason, I’m grateful to see Porgy and Bess for the first time in decades. The scale and musical requirements of the work really demand that it be produced by an opera company with substantial resources if it is to be performed at all.
Porgy and Bess is manifestly worth performing. Its music is beautiful and complex, it deals with emotions at an heroic scale, and it forms a window albeit imperfect into the world of poor Southern blacks of a century ago and more. The cast and subject matter understandably attracts a black audience and those among them who’ve never attended an opera before constitute a new market for Lyric and potential new opera-lovers. I hope this isn’t lost on Lyric Opera.
Last night’s production wasn’t perfect. Sadly, last night’s Clara fluffed her entrance in the beautiful Summertime and our Porgy vocally left much to be desired, Several performances, however, deserve to be singled out for praise.
Chief among these was Eric Greene. His portrayal of Jake was vocally strong, humorous, and heroic. His interpretation of A Woman Is a Sometime Thing was really wonderful.
Jermaine Smith as Sporting Life was reliably entertaining and energetic. I thought his portrayal relied more on James Brown than Sammy Davis Jr. who played the role in the movie which is the form in which most people who are familiar with the work at all know it.
Morenike Fadayomi did a fine job as the beautiful, alluring, and terribly damaged Bess.
The scaffolding and sheet metal sets were evocative and versatile. Very effective.
Lyric Opera: please don’t let another 54 years pass without a performance of this great work.
The season so far: Manon, Porgy and Bess, The Pearl Fishers, Lulu. Advantage Manon.
The Critics
Once again John von Rhein’s reactions were similar to mine:
Heading the first cast, Fadayomi and Hawkins evidently were chosen more for their acting than singing abilities. The soprano oozes sexual allure as the much-abused Bess; too bad her tonal steadiness is a sometime thing. Hawkins, outfitted with a crutch rather than the usual goat cart, makes a sympathetic Porgy, a big man with a big heart.
Lester Lynch is a hulking, baritonally solid Crown whose brute strength makes apparent why Bess could be so readily hypnotized. Mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson draws you to her earthy Maria. Soprano Jonita Lattimore brings down the house with Serena’s poignant lament, “My Man’s Gone Now.”
Soprano Laquita Mitchell, as the young mother Clara, makes “Summertime” a tender lullaby. Eric Greene as the hearty fisherman Jake, Daniel Billings as the weaselly lawyer Frazier, Cheryl Warfield as the Strawberry Woman, and various other supporting and spoken roles are very capably taken.
How many productions of “Porgy and Bess” can boast an ensemble as brilliant as this?
The specially formed chorus sings well and with real dramatic involvement, making a mighty sound when the townsfolk cower in terror as a hurricane rages through Catfish Row.
He liked the second cast better.
Andrew Patner casts some light on the long wait for a Lyric production of Porgy and Bess:
“Lyric has long wanted to do ‘Porgy,’ ” said the company’s general director, William Mason. “Ardis Krainik [Mason’s predecessor] expressed this desire publicly in the 1980s, and it has never been off of our wish list.
“But planning an opera involves many considerations: You want the right production, the right conductor, assurance that the right singers will be available. And, to be frank, the current Lyric Chorus has only two African-American members. To add some 50 outstanding black professional singers — which we did via national auditions — as well as a large credited cast for a run of 13 performances is not inexpensive.”
Catey Sullivan at Examiner.com loved it.
Well you got me so exited about seeing this that I had to rush right over to the Lyric Opera site to see about tickets. I’m crushed that it’s ending the day before I arrive in Chicago. That’s an awfully short run.