Porgy and Bess

[StratNut2008]

Who is playing Bess? She is Gorgeous as Bess, perfect tone and color of her voice for this role.

[vivelhistoire]

Love it, simply <3

[Frommerhold]

/watch?v=8sCt23sdbhc

[gbalah162]

I hate this musical! the Paternalistic nature of it is truly overwhelming.

[shubadubaduap]

@gbalah162 hey, would you mind elaborating on why you think it's Paternalistic? not debating...just curious on your point of view. thanks very much : )

[shubadubaduap]

@gbalah162 @gbalah162 hey, would you mind elaborating on why you think it's Paternalistic? not debating...just curious on your point of view. thanks very much : )

[gbalah162]

@shubadubaduap Negative racial stereotypes overplayed and presented in a fashion that would have more than likely made audience of the time not only believe that is how all African Americans truly do carry themselves but it also forces the incredibly talented and well educated cast to lower themselves and play uneducated individuals for the sake of having a job, i am sure he is a genius but his intentions for making this play to make money and gain fame, not present blacks as "normal" people

[Clittl15]

I saw Kevin Short perform this last week in Charlotte. He was amazing!

[dem815]

I just performed this a few weeks ago with Kevin Short. Great guy, even greater singer!

[leporello56]

looks good. but not as good as the glyndebourne production

[XnazuraX]

im going on a field trip to see tht in 2 days :3

[PAF149]

*Edmond*

[ouinonyes]

i would like to believe you, when u have the proof

[ouinonyes]

Prove it!

[madamerotten]

@PAF149 I have studied the life George Gershwin in some detail, and am also aware of the great accomplishments of Edmond Thornton, but I've never heard an allegation such as yours. What evidence have you to prove this statement?

[yohann100]

Il est vraiment merveilleux de se replonger dans l'oeuvre de Gershwin à travers Porgy And Bess qui triompha à Broadway après Sa mort en 1938.Délicieusement magnifique et tragique

[mielesergio]

VERY NICE!

[alvarito45]

Sin duda, Gershwin es el mejor compositor de Estados Unidos. Toda su música es grandiosa. Me encanta.

[ansumguy454]

absolutely wonderful!

[mungobuh]

Jermaine Smith repeated his dance moves -- at 2:20 -- in a 2007 production of "Porgy" at Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis.

[kejoglo]

Regardless of everything that is debated about this opera one thing is for certain - the music is sublime. It transcends the ages and is remarkable in its fervour.

[lynntwill06]

I love the song There's somebody knocking at your door love it

[krazw1]

Anne W. Brown, Gershwins first Bess died today friday 13th of march at the age of 96. She died in here home in Norway.

She got one doughter, Paula Schjelderup.

She was born in Boltimore 9th of August 1912. She settle down in Oslo in 1948, where she married ski jumper Thorleif Scheldrup, and bacame a norwegian citizen.

[noeltarifi]

my grand father is in the original porgy and bess.. he passed away in 2005 he plays crown. his name is brock peters. so i have seen the original movie twice and screening parties..its very rare that they show it. only the person with the rights to it..shows it once a yr.

[pboogie1023]

I love your grandfather's work. He was a truly amazing actor!

[princeandrey]

Yes, your grandfather was a great actor; and he was in the Samuel Goldman movie, but not the "original Porgy and Bess," since it was first produced on live stage when Brock Peters was about eight years old. I know your grandfather was a great actor and have always admired him, but the movie is not very good, sad to say: not his fault, obviously, but the hackneyed sensibility of the time (late fifties).

[bskjens93]

Bess is cool

[bohemiandaisy9]

Oooh. I went to see this! I go to the LA opera very often. It's beautiful!

[chasen47]

I was at this. Amazing. I love it when opera has great acting as well.

[timrooker2]

The soundtrack for Porgy and Bess is SOOOOO much fun to play its unbelievable =D (we do a medley of all the main themes) i was actually saddened to find out we w're doing it in the first half of the show last night cos it meant i had nothing to look forward to xD

[Tbe2007]

I SAW IT YESTERDAY IN HAMBURG. IT WAS THE SAME GUY(KEVIN) WHO PLAYED PORGY. BESS WAS PLAYED BY A GIRL WITH A MOLE ON HER LEFT CHEEK. THREE HOURS WAS TOO LONG FOR ME FOR MY BLACK ASS but i loved the props ESPECIALLY, the scene of the picnic on the island.

PORGY AND BESS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR SUCH A LONG TIME. I WONDER WHY I´VE NEVER HEARD OF IT UNTIL NOW.

[manlyman80345]

Honestly, you probably haven't heard of it because of the racism within the libretto and even the music itself. Personally, I listen to the music frequently and I do it with American pride...alright fine I'm white but I think all of the criticism for the racism is a bit overplayed.

[Interlingua]

I think it's a great anti-racist opera. The focus is the lives of ordinary working people. These are not role models but people with deep flaws and virtues. And that makes it true to both life and opera.

[erincamilla]

To be fair ... I've worked with Gregg Brown and though he was sought after for his portroyals in this opera, he got so sick of doing it that he swore he would never do another opera about African Americans ever. That is, until Margaret Gardner came along, and Richard Danielpour had to COURT him to do it. Danielpour said to me that Porgy is an opera about how white people view black people, and Margaret Gardner is an opera about how black people view black people.

[JeeRant]

Even though Danielpour is...white.

[Chasson0318]

Do you mean Gregg Baker?

[erincamilla]

Yes. I don't know where the HELL my mind was.

[juliajoppien]

Yeah, I'm from Hamburg. In my opinion, it wasn't that great...

It's maybe, because I'm more into the "classical" opera stuff, like "Carmen" or "Nabuco", you know...

I think, that the music and the chant doesn't harmonize that perfect, the music was too "jazzy" in most parts, while the chant was opera. But I LOVE the voice of the singer, who plays Clara.

And yes, I guess it is the same "Porgy" (not that good)

[juliajoppien]

Saw it in hamburg 2 days ago

[eXecutivedirectress]

They are all awesome!!! Black ppl are so musically talented!

[miamisurf]

nice!

[enautica04]

Indira and Kevin are doing it together right now in Paris @ the Opera Comique. They are wonderful together...

[peggydams]

I gonne see them in 2 days in Antwerp

Belgium

[musiclover1958]

Wow, Indira Mahajan has a wonderful voice.

[SingstaMay]

bess & the chorus are good the solo men aren't

[callgirl91]

im going to see this next friday for our Junior trip!!! it seems like a great prodution now i cant wait to go see it!!!

[Red82991]

That's funny, I've never heard opera in English before, but it may as well be Italian, I can't really understand the words. Still beautiful though.

[QLateralus6]

haha. I found this because it's in lauryn hill's "ready or not" song... lmao interesting :) Rap orgies with THEM?!

[avaloniarising]

Gershwin was truly a musical genius! This production is wonderful and thank for sharing it here.

[powerinpraise2000]

that was morenike fadayomi...not indira mahajan

[RBAC1]

Her name is Indira Mahajan

[THEMAN200711]

It's a shame that African-Americans don't get the opportunities to sing like Whites. Listen to Kevin Short (Porgy). That is a first rate voice!!! Racism is alive and well.

[SaintPandemonium]

Dude, what are you talking about?

[princeandrey]

What?  Strange question...

[littleflowergirl92]

This looks like an outstanding production!! Your def. one of my top fav. suscribers by the way, I love your videos. Quick question? Who is the stunning soprano that plays Bess in this production?

[craigwalters]

I couldn't identify the Bess but the guy singing Porgy is Kevin Short from Baltimore, MD but now living in Basel, Switzerland. He is also a wonderful singer!

[babyruth151181]

This looks phenomenal , too bad I'm on the other side of the country , I would have loved to see it .

[sirmercutio99]

I got to see the Atlanta Opera's production and I was enthralled at the beauty of Gershwin's opera. If he had lived longer he might of wrote more operas but I hope that P&B will get it's place in the permnant repitoire.