Theater Review: Porgy & Bess

The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS (2012): Audra McDonald, Norm Lewis
Photo By: Michael J. Lutch

Norm, You is My Porgy NowBy Lauren Yarger
Consider that headline a love letter to Norm Lewis, who brings to life the character of Porgy in The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess, getting a revised and slimmed-down production on Broadway directed by Diane Paulus.
Lewis brings such warmth, strength and humanity to Porgy, that his performance alone is reason to see the production which found itself embroiled in controversy before it even hit the Great White Way (Composer Stephen Sondheim wrote in the New York Times criticizing changes to the original version featuring music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, who wrote the libretto.)

For the revised version, which had a pre-Broadway run in Cambridge, MA, Suzan-Lori Parks (who wrote the Pulitzer-Prize winner TopDog, Underdog) adapted the 1935 book and is credited with additional scenes (though a planned happy ending was scrapped). Deirdre L. Murray, a composer and jazz instrumentalist, adapted the music which is orchestrated by William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke.
While I understand Sondheim's and others' well intentioned concerns about altering an artist's work and the dangers of changing classic works to fit in with current culture, I think Porgy & Bess might be one of the best examples of how this can work well. The two-and-a-half hour piece infuses all of the best parts of the original with new vitality that will interest a new generation of theatergoers.

The opera tells the story of African-American life in Catfish Row, a fishing community in South Carolina (depicted here on a minimal set designed by Ricardo Hernandez. The characters are dressed in costumes designed by ESosa). Frankly, except for the wonderful music which includes classics like "Summertime," "Bess, You Is My Woman, Now,"  and "It Ain't Necessarily So," among others, I didn't much care for the story in other versions I have seen. It's a real bummer and tends to get lost in the lengthy production, which can run more than three hours.

Here, though, thanks to Lewis' compelling portrayal, I got to know, and really care about Porgy, a crippled beggar (Lewis' twisted limp seems truly painful) who finds love with Bess (a surprisingly lackluster Audra McDonald the day I attended). Lewis' "I Got Plenty of Nothing" defines Porgy as a strong, confident man, content in life despite his hardships and accepted as a valued member of the community despite his circumstances -- not the wimpy sap who gets taken advantage of whom I had met in other productions. In fact, Lewis' portrayal is the one I will use as a measure for future Porgys.

In the tale, Porgy offers Bess shelter when Crown (Phillip Boykin) the man who is keeping her, murders a man and goes into hiding. He leaves Bess behind knowing that some other man will be happy to have the woman's sexual favors until he can return to claim her. He is amused to discover that the unfortunate Porgy has taken the job.

Bess, however, is more attracted to the disabled man's pure heart and kind, accepting love than she is to the towering, muscular stevedore physique that houses a cruel personality. Crown is outraged when she doesn't want to return to him. Boykin creates such an excellently vivid characterization of Crown's repulsive nature that he is soundly booed at the curtain call.

Standing out among the residents of Catfish Row are three: the wonderful Joshua Henry (his dreamy voice is a pleasure on any stage) as fisherman Jake, who leads beautiful renditions of "A Woman is a Sometime Thing," and "It Takes a Long Pull," David Alan Grier as Sporting Life, a drug dealer who tries to keep Bess hooked on "happy dust," and a delightfully humorous NaTasha Yvette Williams as Mariah, a sort of matriarch of the community.

Also deserving special mention are excellent vocals by Bryonha Marie Parham (who plays Serena, wife of the man killed by Crown), Nikki Renee Daniels (as Clara, Jake's wife) and Andrea Jones-Sojola as the Strawberry woman.

Overall, Paulus deserves Kudos for invigorating the piece, though some choreography by Ronald K. Brown seems awkward and out of place.

The limited engagement of The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 West 46th St., NY C, has been extended through Sept. 30. Tickets: 877-250-2929 or visit www.porgyandbessonbroadway.com.

Student rush tickets, which are subject to availability, can be purchased for $37 each, one ticket per student ID and cash only. If available, tickets can be purchased the day of the performance starting at 5pm for evening performances and noon for matinees.

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