Porgy and Bess

Internationally acclaimed opera Porgy and Bess returns to Christchurch in August for one gala performance only.
Living Arts Inc (New York) and Andrew McKinnon Presentations presents Porgy and Bess at Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal on August 22; ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, THE EDGE, Auckland on August 23 and 24; and Westpac St James Theatre in Wellington on August 25 and 26.
This production, featuring an all African American cast and a live orchestra, was last seen in New Zealand in 1997 for a sold out three-week season.
Now, as part of an Australian and New Zealand tour, New Zealand audiences can once again enjoy this thrilling production of the Gershwin classic, which has captivated audiences around the world.
Recognised as a musical masterpiece, Porgy and Bess was the first American opera to enjoy worldwide success and, for its composer, George Gershwin, it was the climax of an extraordinary, though tragically brief, career.
Based on the DuBose Heyward novel set in Charleston's famed Catfish Row, it tells the moving story of the cripple Porgy and his love for the beautiful, haunted Bess. Theirs is a union frowned upon by the rest of the entirely black community, who disapprove of Porgy's "fancy woman" and her free living and drug dependency.
The jazz and blues inspired score features classic Gershwin songs including Summertime; I Got Plenty o' Nuttin; It Ain't Necessarily So; Bess,You Is My Woman Now; as well as magnificent choruses that stunned audiences and critics alike at its 1935 world premiere in Boston.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see a fully-staged production of Porgy and Bess performed exactly as the composer intended – with a cast made up entirely of superb African-American singers.

“A powerful production of PORGY AND BESS with a cast deeply experienced in this great American opera.” – The Washington Post

“This company is a true ensemble - you feel all of them could sing all the roles - and it is from this that the production derives its basic strength.” – The London Times

Event listed by SWPR Ltd

View their other events or contact promoter