#NowSpinning: Great Scenes from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
Sung by Leontyne Price and William Warfield
Conducted by McHenry Boatwright and Skitch Henderson.

This is OPERA GOLD. The epitome of BLACK OPERA. #PorgyandBess #VinylEnthusiast #MusicSky #VinylSky #OperaSky #BlackMusicSky

This (youtu.be/No2zwaibsWg?...) is the cast of the 2011 revival of “Porgy & Bess” feat. Audra McDonald & Norm Lewis. You can listen to the cast recording here (youtube.com/playlist?lis...)
#RetroView #PorgyAndBess #AudraMcDonald #NormLewis #DavidAlanGrier #BlackHistoryMonth

🎵 Summertime and the livin’ is easy-
— George Gershwin
#BlueSkyMonday #mountainmonday #catskills #sky #trees #water #nature #thornepreserve #hudsonvalley #newyork #summertime #porgyandbess #georgegershwin #photography

#OTD #TDIH #February28, 1943: #Premieres: The #opera #PorgyAndBess by #GeorgeGershwin #DuBoseHeyward and #IraGershwin, opens on #Broadway w/the largest all #AfricanAmerican cast ever seen on #Americanstage. #Theatre #MusicSky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T25...

I featured the 2002 revival of revival of “Porgy and Bess” by The New York Opera (youtube.com/playlist?lis...) on #RetroView a couple of years back
#MusComEnt #BlackHistoryMonth #PorgyAndBess

For the curious: Yes, Robert McFerrin Sr. is the father of popular singer-songwriter and musicologist Bobby McFerrin!
#MusComEnt #PorgyAndBess #RobertMcFerrinSr #BobbyMcFerrin

Sidney Poitier had to be convinced by friends & management to take the role of Porgy. Even then, for all of his talents singing wasn’t one so he’s dubbed by Robert McFerrin Sr.,first Black man to sign a contract w/NYC’s Met Opera
#MusComEnt #PorgyAndBess #SidneyPoitier #RobertMcFerrinSr

Sammy Davis Jr. jumped at the chance to play “Sportin’ Life”
#MusComEnt #PorgyAndBess #SammyDavisJr

Once the rights were secured in the late 1950s, casting proved to be difficult due to the fact tha the subject matter could be interpreted as perpetuating negative stereotypes of Black Americans.
#MusComEnt #BlackHistoryMonth #PorgyAndBess

Despite success on stage, “Porgy and Bess” (1959) was mired in production issues from its inception from one early producer trying secure film rights w/an all white/white passing cast (Fred Astaire, Al Jolson and Rita Hayworth,etc.) in blackface which angered the writers
#MusComEnt #PorgyAndBess

“Porgy and Bess” (1959) is based on the 1935 opera of the same name by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward & Ira Gershwin, which in turn based on Heyward's 1925 novel “Porgy” & the 1927 non-musical stage play co-written w/his wife Dorothy
#MusComEnt #BlackHistoryMonth #PorgyAndBess

And now our feature presentation: The Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” (1959) directed by Otto Preminger (youtu.be/W_jPTXFbhjI?...)
#MusComEnt #BlackHistoryMonth #PorgyAndBess

The Hollywood Palace March 2nd 1968 With Sammy Davis Jr., Diahann Carroll, The Checkmates, Rowan and Martin, & Peter Lawford - YouTube

This is from a 1968 episode of “The Hollywood Palace” (youtube.com/playlist?lis...)
#MusComEnt #SammyDavisJr #DiahannCarroll #BlackHistoryMonth #PorgyAndBess

First up we have longtime friends and creative collaborators Sammy Davis Jr. And Diahann Carroll singing a medley of selections from today’s film “Porgy and Bess” (1959) (youtu.be/7bfp9ne12HY?...)
#MusComEnt #SammyDavisJr #DiahannCarroll #BlackHistoryMonth #PorgyAndBess

🎭 Denyce Graves retires after her final performance in Porgy and Bess at the Met Opera.
She now begins a new journey—directing and mentoring future talent.#DenyceGraves #OperaNews #MetOpera #PorgyAndBess #StageLegacy #RFXSignals #BlueskyCulture #ArtsUpdate

Exhilarated and joyful to listen to my old buddy @grantneale.bsky.social performing a speaking role in #PorgyAndBess at @metropolitanopera.bsky.social today. Grant was in the 1st theatrical piece I ever costumed, for the Ridiculous Theatrical Company. We are both still working, and often together! 🎭

#LiveFromTheMet

#PorgyAndBess

Live on the Robert K. Johnson Foundation - Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network
(11 AM) MT, Saturday, January 24
The Gershwins: PORGY AND BESS

#TheMet #Oprea #PorgyandBess #TheGershwins
Link: https://ow.ly/Lsav50Y0mmI

Saturday's #MetOpera radio broadcast (1/24) is #PorgyAndBess and while it is next to impossible to ruin this opera, the reviews have been uniformly good (with a few quibbles). Looking forward to it.

#GLP1
#NewYorkCity
#Manhattan
#LincolnCenter
#TheMetropolitanOpera
@MetOpera
#PorgyAndBess
#GeorgeGershwin
#IraGershwin
#BriceDailyPhoto

Muriel Grossmann – Plays the Music of McCoy Tyner & Grateful Dead (Dreamland, Spain 2025) – By post few days ago. Less about the post & first gig of year. Grossmann live at #PorgyAndBess #Vienna – 2 diverse & epic sets + #GinaSchwarz on bass for Spiritual Number: oh yes... what a night 😉

Improv concert tonight in vienna

Heute / tonight in Vienna!
Starts ~19:00
Until then

#improvisedmusic #echtzeitmuzik #wien #porgyandbess

The Met tickets secured. Amtrak ticket secured. Denyce Graves, I'm coming to see you, baby! #PorgyAndBess

Sidney Poitier

Birth: 20 Feb 1927
Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA

#Death: 6 Jan 2022 (aged 94)
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA

www.findagrave.com/memorial/235...

#OTD #SidneyPoitier #actor #FilmDirector #TheDefiantOnes #PorgyAndBess #ARaisinInTheSun #InTheHeatOfTheNight

improvised music concert

Eine Woche nur, und dann geht's los...
see you soon!
www.facebook.com/events/33281...
#improvisedmusic #porgyandbess #strengekammer #echtzeitmusik

just two weeks until we mash it up at Porgy's! with Kasho Chualan, Alessandro Vicard, and Michi Prehofer. In der Strengen Kammer @ Porgy & Bess, Vienna.
Come hear!
www.porgy.at/en/events/12...
#konzert #wien #porgyandbess #strengekammer #lostandfound #ImprovisedMusic #echtzeitmusik

warming up the new year on 12 Jan with these fabulous players: Kasho Chualan, Alessandro Vicard, and Michi Prehofer. In der Strengen Kammer @ Porgy & Bess, Vienna.
Come hear! www.facebook.com/events/3328192274005526
#konzert #wien #porgyandbess #strengenkammer #lostandfound #ImprovisedMusic

#porgyandbess

Cab Calloway

Birth: 25 Dec 1907
Rochester, Monroe County, New York, USA

#Death: 18 Nov 1994 aged 86
Hockessin, New Castle County, Delaware, USA

www.findagrave.com/memorial/199...

#OTD #CabCalloway #JazzSinger #BandLeader #CottonClub #MinnieTheMoocher #PorgyAndBess #TheBluesBrothers #KingOfHiDeHo

It doesn’t get better. Huge thank you and much love to all the incredible artists who made this happen. #porgyandbess #houstonopera