By Peter Hall:
THE BASICS: With book adapted by Pulitzer prize winning Suzan-Lori Parks and musical score adapted by Diedre L. Murray, this more “Broadway-friendly” version of the great American opera Porgy and Bess is at Shea’s Performing Arts Center every night through Sunday evening March 16th, 2014 with Saturday and Sunday matinees. The show runs two and a half hours including one 15 minute intermission.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess tells the story of Porgy, a cripple, who lives on Catfish Row in the slums of Charleston, South Carolina, and his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of both Crown, her possessive and abusive lover and pimp, and Sporting Life, a drug dealer with New York City connections. The musical features the classics composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by his brother Ira such as “Summertime,” “Bess, You Is My Woman Now,” “I Got Plenty of Nothing,” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.”
THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY AND THE PRODUCTION: Technically, this is an opera, although a “folk opera” as George Gershwin called it, but audiences who are used to Broadway voices may at first wonder at the difference. All the singers are mic’d, to save their voices for the 8 performance run, but it’s worth noting that they all could, if necessary, project up to the last row of the balcony.
Also, unlike your typical Broadway show, the orchestra uses a great number of actual symphonic instruments such as English Horn, French Horn, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, to name a few of the more unusual. Of course, there are synthesized sounds, but they are hardly noticeable. “Real” opera voices and “real” instruments (many played by moonlighting Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra musicians) make this a class act.
Nathaniel Stampley is convincing as Porgy, the cripple whom everyone assumes will never be able to attract any woman, let alone the overtly sexual Bess. Alicia Hall Moran as Bess has neither the looks nor the voice of Audra McDonald (who does?) who starred as Bess on Broadway, but on the other hand, she portrayed a rougher, perhaps less sanitized version of Bess, a drug addicted prostitute who wants to be better.
The standouts for this reviewer included Alvin Crawford, who plays the evil Crown. He’s a big, imposing, and scary actor and his character commits violent murder and rape on stage. The audience loved the actor so much that they felt comfortable booing him during the curtain call. Sometimes you want to boo the character, but you’re not sure that the actor will understand.
The other standout was the other “bad” man – Sportin’ Life who cheats at craps and deals in watered down whiskey and “Happy Dust” (cocaine). Kingsley Leggs has a smooth, easy to listen to voice and an acting style to go with it.
We’ve all heard the songs, or maybe the orchestral suite known as “Catfish Row,” but if you’ve never seen “Porgy and Bess” then you really can’t appreciate the music, because the context is so important.
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!