SSCC hosts Cincinnati Opera's "Porgy and Bess" on Feb. 4
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A reduced touring version of “Porgy and Bess” will be presented by the Cincinnati Opera 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, in the Edward K. Daniels Auditorium on Southern State Community College’s Central Campus, 100 Hobart Drive, Hillsboro.
Admission is free but seating is limited to 400 guests. Advance tickets are available on a first-come first-served basis and can be picked up at the Learning Resources Center on any of SSCC’s four campus locations in Hillsboro, Wilmington, Fincastle and Washington C.H.
The great American opera “Porgy and Bess,” composed by the brilliant jazz musician George Gershwin, will be presented by Cincinnati Opera for the very first time in June 2012 at Music Hall. In order to bring this important work to the community, Cincinnati Opera has created a reduced version, “Opera Redux: Porgy and Bess,” which will tour Greater Cincinnati from Jan. 30 through Feb. 19. This 45-minute production features the best-loved songs from the opera, evocative sets and costumes, and an accomplished cast of five young opera singers. Audiences will hear such favorites as “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” and “I Loves You Porgy.”
Based on a novel by DuBose Heyward, “Porgy and Bess” takes place on the fictional street of Catfish Row in Charleston, S.C., and explores the community of African Americans living in the neighborhood, from the sly Sportin’ Life to the matriarchal Serena. At the heart of the opera is the tale of an odd couple: Porgy, a handicapped man with a heart full of love, and Bess, a beautiful woman struggling to break free from a difficult past.
“Porgy and Bess” is not only famous for its songs, but was a landmark work for its sympathetic portrayal of African-American characters. In fact, Gershwin insisted on an all-black cast when it premiered on Broadway in 1935, defying the common practice of the time of using white actors in blackface.
“Opera Redux: Porgy and Bess” is directed by Lemuel Wade, who will also be directing the Opera’s summer production at Music Hall. Wade has performed in “Porgy and Bess” around the world, and directed the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre’s production of the work in 2011.
For more information about the Feb. 4 event at Southern State, please contact Carissa Thatcher at 1-800-628-7722, ext. 3681, or cthatcher@sscc.edu.[[In-content Ad]]
Admission is free but seating is limited to 400 guests. Advance tickets are available on a first-come first-served basis and can be picked up at the Learning Resources Center on any of SSCC’s four campus locations in Hillsboro, Wilmington, Fincastle and Washington C.H.
The great American opera “Porgy and Bess,” composed by the brilliant jazz musician George Gershwin, will be presented by Cincinnati Opera for the very first time in June 2012 at Music Hall. In order to bring this important work to the community, Cincinnati Opera has created a reduced version, “Opera Redux: Porgy and Bess,” which will tour Greater Cincinnati from Jan. 30 through Feb. 19. This 45-minute production features the best-loved songs from the opera, evocative sets and costumes, and an accomplished cast of five young opera singers. Audiences will hear such favorites as “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” and “I Loves You Porgy.”
Based on a novel by DuBose Heyward, “Porgy and Bess” takes place on the fictional street of Catfish Row in Charleston, S.C., and explores the community of African Americans living in the neighborhood, from the sly Sportin’ Life to the matriarchal Serena. At the heart of the opera is the tale of an odd couple: Porgy, a handicapped man with a heart full of love, and Bess, a beautiful woman struggling to break free from a difficult past.
“Porgy and Bess” is not only famous for its songs, but was a landmark work for its sympathetic portrayal of African-American characters. In fact, Gershwin insisted on an all-black cast when it premiered on Broadway in 1935, defying the common practice of the time of using white actors in blackface.
“Opera Redux: Porgy and Bess” is directed by Lemuel Wade, who will also be directing the Opera’s summer production at Music Hall. Wade has performed in “Porgy and Bess” around the world, and directed the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre’s production of the work in 2011.
For more information about the Feb. 4 event at Southern State, please contact Carissa Thatcher at 1-800-628-7722, ext. 3681, or cthatcher@sscc.edu.[[In-content Ad]]