Porgy and Bess

Porgy and Bess, an American folk opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin. [1].

Performance history in South Africa

1978: Presented by JODS at the Alhambra Theatre, directed by Taubie Kushlick, the title roles played by Ben Masinga and Betty Mthombeni, opening 23 November to largely unfavourable reviews.

1996: Presented by CAPAB Opera (30 March – 12 April), with American guest singers Simon Estes, Cynthia Clarey, Ronald T Smith, James Butler joining Virginia Davids (as Serena), Sibongile Mngoma (as Clara) and Miranda Tini (as Maria).

2001: Presented by Cape Town Opera (23–30 May)

2006: Presented by Cape Town Opera (21–30 September)

2009: Presented by Cape Town Opera, set in a 1950s Soweto, highlighting the issue of buildings that were invaded in Johannesburg. Indigenous instruments such as the penny whistle and mouth organ were also used for this production.

2012: Presented by Cape Town Opera (29 September – 6 October), directed by Christine Crouse (and set in Soweto).

2024: A semi-staged version co-produced by Beijing Music Festival, Cape Town Opera and KT Wong Foundation presented in Shanghai and Beijing (8 October – 13 October). More than 40 members of the Cape Town Opera Chorus, recipients of the International Opera Award for best chorus, flew to China to perform in the show, alongside soprano Nonhlanhla Yende playing the heroine Bess, and bass singer Otto Maidi playing the hero Porgy.

Sources

Tucker, 1997. p. 362.

Wayne Muller. 2018. A reception history of opera in Cape Town: Tracing the development of a distinctly South African operatic aesthetic (1985–2015). Unpublished PhD thesis.

Hilde Roos. 2012. 'Indigenisation and history: how opera in South Africa became South African opera'. Acta Academica Supplementum. 2012(1).

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