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Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, Dubose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin

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Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, Dubose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin THE GERSHWINS’ porgy and bess By George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin conductor Opera in two acts David Robertson Saturday, February 1, 2020 production 1:00–4:30 PM James Robinson set designer New Production Michael Yeargan costume designer Catherine Zuber lighting designer The production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Donald Holder Bess was made possible by a generous gift from projection designer Luke Halls The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund and Douglas Dockery Thomas choreographer Camille A. Brown fight director David Leong general manager Peter Gelb Co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; jeanette lerman-neubauer Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam; and music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin English National Opera 2019–20 SEASON The 68th Metropolitan Opera performance of THE GERSHWINS’ This performance is being broadcast porgy and bess live over The Toll Brothers– Metropolitan Opera conductor International Radio David Robertson Network, sponsored in order of vocal appearance by Toll Brothers, America’s luxury cl ar a a detective homebuilder®, with Golda Schultz Grant Neale generous long- mingo lily term support from Errin Duane Brooks Tichina Vaughn* the Annenberg sportin’ life a policeman Foundation and Frederick Ballentine Bobby Mittelstadt GRoW @ Annenberg, The Neubauer Family jake an undertaker Foundation, the Donovan Singletary* Damien Geter Vincent A. Stabile serena annie Endowment for Latonia Moore Chanáe Curtis Broadcast Media, robbins “l aw yer” fr a zier and contributions Chauncey Packer Arthur Woodley from listeners worldwide. jim nel son Norman Garrett Jonathan Tuzo There is no peter str awberry woman Toll Brothers– Jamez McCorkle Aundi Marie Moore Metropolitan maria cr ab man Opera Quiz in Denyce Graves Chauncey Packer List Hall today. porgy a coroner Eric Owens Michael Lewis This performance is also being broadcast crown scipio live on Metropolitan Alfred Walker* Neo Randall Opera Radio on bess SiriusXM channel 75. Angel Blue Saturday, February 1, 2020, 1:00–4:30PM This afternoon’s performance is being transmitted live in high definition to movie theaters worldwide. The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a generous grant from its founding sponsor, The Neubauer Family Foundation. Digital support of The Met: Live in HD is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Met: Live in HD series is supported by Rolex. The worldwide copyrights in the works of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for this presentation are licensed by the Gershwin family. GERSHWIN is a registered trademark of Gershwin Enterprises. Porgy and Bess is a registered trademark of Porgy and Bess Enterprises. Chorus Masters Donald Palumbo and David Moody Musical Preparation Donna Racik, J. David Jackson, Carol Isaac, and Bryan Wagorn* Assistant Stage Directors Kimille Howard, Cody Renard Richard, Daniel Rigazzi, and Kathleen Smith Belcher Assistant Costume Designer Ryan Park Associate Choreographer Mayte Natalio Assistant Choreographer Maleek Washington Prompter Donna Racik Scenery constructed and painted by Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam, and Metropolitan Opera Shops Properties and electrical props constructed and painted by ENO Props Workshop and Metropolitan Opera Shops Costumes constructed by Angela Santos, Angels Costumes, Das Gewand, Sarah Pearce, Abby Hardie, and ENO Production Wardrobe Dyeing by Emma van Bloomstein Additional costumes by Dawson Tailors, Jennifer Love Costumes, Inc., and Metropolitan Opera Costume Department Wigs and Makeup executed by Metropolitan Opera Wig and Makeup Department This production uses strobe-light effects. All musical compositions from The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; Words and Music by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, Copyright © Nokawi Music, administered by Steve Peter Music / Frankie G. Songs and DuBose and Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund Publishing administered by Downtown Music Publishing LLC / Ira Gershwin Music administered by WB Music Corp. / Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved. MetTitles based on titles licensed by the Glimmerglass Festival This performance is made possible in part by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts. Before the performance begins, please switch off cell phones and other electronic devices. The Met will be recording and simulcasting audio/video footage in the opera house today. If you do not want us to use your image, please tell a Met staff member. * Graduate of the Lindemann Met Titles Young Artist Development Program To activate, press the red button to the right of the screen in front of your seat and follow the instructions provided. Yamaha is the Official Piano To turn off the display, press the red button once again. If of the Metropolitan Opera. you have questions, please ask an usher at intermission. 2019–20 A scene from Puccini’s La Bohème e Metropolitan Opera is pleased to salute Rolex in recognition of its generous support during the 2019–20 season. PHOTO: EVAN ZIMMERMAN / MET OPERA Rolex_Jan20_DedicationSignage_PLAYBILL.indd 1 12/23/19 2:07 PM Porgy and Bess Chorus SOPRANOS ALTOS Denisha Ballew La’Shelle Allen Katerina Burton Chantal Braziel Lynnesha Crump Helena Brown 2019–20 Chanáe Curtis Jihanna Charlton-Davis Angeli Ferrette Linda Childs Alannah Garnier Taylor-Alexis DuPont Makeda Hampton Marguerite Mariah Jones Rebecca L. Hargrove Tesia Kwarteng Christine Jobson LaToya Lain Andrea Jones-Sojola Nicole Joy Mitchell Jennifer Lindsay Jasmine Muhammad Jamet Pittman Lindsay Patterson Abdou Kimberli Render Karmesha Peake Brittany Renee Robinson Alia Waheed BASSES Jasmin White Charles Carter Tammie Woods Brian Fenderson Kevin Gardner A scene from Puccini’s La Bohème TENORS Damien Geter Lindell Carter Paul Grosvenor Antonio Chase Antoine Hodge Terrence Chin-Loy Jarrod Lee Christian Mark Gibbs Quentin Oliver Lee Maurio Hines Justin Lee Miller Anthony P. McGlaun Whitaker Mills Steven Myles Wayne Arthur Paul e Metropolitan Opera is pleased to salute Taiwan Norris Markel Reed Rishi Rane Aaron Reeder Rolex in recognition of its generous support David Morgans Sanchez Rocky Sellers during the 2019–20 season. Tshombe Selby Antonio Watts Chase Taylor Jonathan Tuzo Edward Washington Charles Williamson PHOTO: EVAN ZIMMERMAN / MET OPERA Visit metopera.org 37 Rolex_Jan20_DedicationSignage_PLAYBILL.indd 1 12/23/19 2:07 PM Synopsis Act I Catfish Row, a tenement neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina, in the 1920s. The inhabitants of Catfish Row are relaxing after a day’s work. Clara sings a lullaby to her baby. The drug dealer Sportin’ Life; Clara’s husband, Jake; and some of the other men are playing craps under the disapproving eye of the religious Serena. Jake sings a lullaby of his own to the baby. The disabled beggar Porgy arrives and is about to join the game when Crown and his lover, Bess, appear. The loudmouthed Crown joins the dice game. Drunk and high on drugs, he loses, starts a fight, and kills Robbins with a cotton hook. Before the police arrive, Crown runs off to hide, telling Bess that he’ll be back for her. The community shuns Bess as they await the arrival of the police. Sportin’ Life offers to take her to New York with him, but she refuses. Only Porgy is sympathetic to her: He offers her shelter and his protection, which she accepts. In her room the following evening, Robbins’s widow, Serena, leads the mourners at her husband’s funeral. A collection is being taken to meet the cost of the burial. Porgy and Bess enter, and Bess offers Serena a contribution, which at first she refuses thinking it must be Crown’s money. She finally accepts it when it is explained that it is Porgy’s. Police officers arrive and accuse Peter, the honeyman, of the murder. Fearing what might happen, he tells them that Crown was responsible but is himself promptly arrested as a material witness. Serena convinces the undertaker to bury Robbins for less than his usual fee. Bess leads everyone in an exultant spiritual. A month later, Jake and the other fishermen are mending their nets. Porgy c o m pa re s hi s li fe to t h eir s. S p o r t in’ L i fe e nte r s, b u t b efo re h e ha s a n o p p o r t u ni t y to peddle any of his “happy dust,” Maria, the matriarch of Catfish Row, chases him away. “Lawyer” Frazier sells Bess a divorce, even though she and Crown were never married. Everyone is preparing to leave for a church picnic on Kittiwah Island. Sportin’ Life asks Bess again to come to New York with him and tries to give her more dope, which she refuses. Porgy threatens him and chases him off. He and Bess reflect on their newfound happiness. Porgy insists that Bess should go to the picnic even though he can’t manage the boat trip. At first, she refuses, not wanting to leave him alone, but eventually, she yields to his persuasion and joins the others as they set off. On Kittiwah Island later that same day, Sportin’ Life describes his own cynical view of religion to some of the revelers, until Serena chastises them for being taken in by his stories. The steamboat whistle announces that it’s time to leave, and everyone starts to pack up their belongings. Bess hurries along 38 until Crown, who has been hiding on the island since the Robbins murder, calls out to her. He wants Bess to come with him, but she explains that she has a new life with Porgy. Crown forces her to stay with him. Intermission (aT APPROXIMATELY 2:40PM) Act II In Catfish Row at dawn a week later, fishermen leave for a day’s work at sea despite a storm warning. Bess is heard talking deliriously from Porgy’s room. She has been feverish and ill since returning from Kittiwah Island. Peter, released from police custody that morning, advises Porgy to take her to the hospital, but Serena would rather pray for her recovery.
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