By Lanita Withers Goins , University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-3890
Posted 3-1-10
Cast of "Porgy & Bess"
Photo Credit: Sarah Shatz
GREENSBORO, NC –“Porgy and Bess,” the classic George Gershwin opera that introduced “Summertime” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So” into the American songbook, will be performed at Aycock Auditorium at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Sunday, March 21.
The 3 p.m. matinee, part of a national tour marking the 75th anniversary of the work, is the fourth performance of the 2009-2010 University Concert & Lecture Series. Tickets for the event are $28-35 and are available from the UNCG Box Office at (336) 334-4849 or boxoffice.uncg.edu.
Set along “Catfish Row” in segregated Charleston, S.C., the opera details the relationship between Porgy, a street beggar, and Bess, a prostitute. Written and performed in English, the folk opera is beloved for its memorable characters and enduring songs. In addition to “Summertime” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” the opera also includes the famous songs “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” “I Loves You, Porgy” and “Bess, You Is My Woman Now.”
The work, first performed in 1935, has featured more African American actors than any other opera or musical.
This production of “Porgy and Bess” is produced by veteran opera impresario Michael Capasso, general manager of New York’s Dicapo Opera Theatre. The production also includes talent with local ties. Philip Boykin, who plays the role of “Crown,” and Peter MacBeth, the show’s technical director, are both graduates of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.
For more information, visit ucls.uncg.edu.
