Exhilarating ‘Porgy and Bess’ not to be missed

Seattle Opera’s presentation is compelling and colorful

By Maggie Larrick

No, Seattle Opera has not misstepped into musical theater with its exhilarating production of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, which opened July 30.

Yes, Porgy and Bess was composed in 1935 by musical theater master George Gershwin. And, yes, the score was reworked into a standard musical in 1942. But George Gershwin--together with Dubose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin--wrote Porgy and Bess as an opera.

It wasn’t until 1976, however, that Gershwin’s masterpiece began to be viewed as a true opera. That year, Houston Grand Opera returned to Gershwin’s original opera score under the baton of John DeMain, who has conducted it many times since, including this Seattle Opera production.

Set in fictional Catfish Row of the 1920s Deep South, Porgy and Bess is the story of a tightly knit and spiritual community of African-Americans struggling to make a living fishing and peddling amid poverty and violence. The opera’s central figures are Porgy, a disabled beggar, and Bess, the woman he loves. Porgy attempts to save Bess from her violent lover, Crown, and the temptations offered by drug dealer Sportin’ Life.

Recognizing Porgy and Bess’ firm footing in its milieu, director Chris Alexander keeps the stage in motion with the hustle and bustle of this coastal community, from net mending to selling crabs to gambling. Originally designed for New York Harlem Theatre, Michael Scott’s set of sagging, weathered buildings speaks to the poverty and closeness of Catfish Row’s inhabitants. The rich sense of place is enhanced by projections of hurricane clouds, Christina Giannini’s 1920s costumes, Kabby Mitchell III’s electrifying choreography and Duane Schuler’s lighting.

Gershwin’s opera not only features hit songs such as Summertime, it is heavily influenced by American folk music, from spirituals to work songs, plus musical theater. The diverse musical idioms are a challenge the cast, including chorus and orchestra, aces with astute guidance from conductor DeMain and chorusmaster Beth Williams.

Under Alexander’s direction, characterizations are compelling and colorful. On opening night, tenor Jermaine Smith brought down the house with his kinetically sleazy performance as Sportin’ Life in It Ain’t Necessary So. Contralto Gwendolyn Brown as Maria, the cook-shop keeper, was brash and fearless. The pair’s energetic sparring was funny and crowd pleasing.

As Serena mourning her newly dead husband, soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams’ rendition of My Man’s Gone Now was so intensely emotional her voice cracked with a sob and earned her well-deserved, lengthy applause. Baritone Michael Redding’s Crown was both seductively resonant and tightly wound with an unpredictable, menacing explosiveness.

The opera opened unforgettably with soprano Angel Blue’s soaring Summertime, beautifully echoed later by Lisa Daltirus’ Bess. And the chorus functioned as a character in its own right, heightening the action and delivering delicious choral moments like the controlled, swirling chaos of the hurricane song.

Not to be outdone by the top-notch supporting cast, Gordon Hawkins as Porgy and Lisa Daltirus as Bess created a heartbreaking chemistry, tenderly riveting in Bess You is My Woman Now and I Loves You, Porgy. Soprano Daltirus moved fluidly and convincingly through her transitions back and forth between addicted, mistreated floozy and Porgy’s clean-and-sober beloved. Baritone Hawkins voice was as warmly lush as always but sometimes overwhelmed by the orchestra in his character’s more restrained moments. Watching his Porgy find his full strength and determination through his love for Bess was deeply moving—as is Seattle Opera’s production of this American masterpiece.

Seattle Opera’s “Porgy and Bess” plays at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St., through Saturday, Aug. 20. Prices $25-241. Tickets/information: 389-7676, www.seattleopera.org.