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Porgy and Bess is such a slam dunk-in some circles branded the most important 20^th century American opera-that in any production, one is certain to find something to write home about. With cleverly combined story lines of betrayals, drugs, and murders, the story (written by DuBose Heyward) almost tells itself while the collage of classic numbers, including Summertime, It Ain't Necessarily So, and I Got Plenty of Nuttin, are a dramatic and musical bonus.

Gershwin made a name by writing catchy songs, but here demonstrates his innate capacity for working with full-scale drama. The work challenges an audience with blues and jazz elements (not idioms typically combined with operatic singing), a Southern (and Black American) dialect, and a dose of what have been judged as racial stereotypes. Furthermore, the pace is relentless: there are few breathers from one serious, fateful event after another related to murder, betrayal, and the deadly forces of nature.

The opera tells the story of Porgy, a crippled black man living in the slums of Charleston, South Carolina. It deals with his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her violent and possessive lover, and Sportin' Life, the drug dealer. 

In Porgy and Bess, Gershwin achieved unrivalled dramatic continuity, so that one number flows seamlessly into the next or integrates into recitative or dialogue. The use of thematic recall only enforces the effect, and this score moves, fidgets, and surprises.

Clara opens the show with her famous lullaby, and here soprano Sequina Dubose was smartly cast. Although her Summertime was far from show-stopping (in fact her initial melodic line ran sharp), she handled the difficult song with a lyrical grace and added the appropriate improvisation to make this hit song her own. Reggie Whitehead's Sportin' Life was a bit over the top, but this is a role to relish, with ample opportunity to steal the show. Whitehead shaped the thug as a sort of Motown-esque prankster (perhaps paying homage to a certain deceased pop star), weaving this purple-coated spectacle through each of his scenes. In It Ain't Necessarily So Whitehead demonstrated a committed precision to diction and dance, and he easily stole at least the moment.


The title roles were impressively played. Bess (played on Friday night by Kishna Davis) enters fervently with a believable sense of abandon and an appropriately provocative red dress. Davis' character evolves before the audience's eyes: at first her movements seem stiff and artificial, but this proved to be an effort at characterization. It is fair to say that she grew on me. In her What You Want With Bess, she seemed to push the voice-to almost belt-but it worked here to bring into focus her restless aggravation. In the duet with Porgy (played by Patrick Blackwell), Davis demonstrated exquisite control and color as she eased up to simply soar. These singers were an exceptional vocal match for this duet; it was dazzling. Blackwell brought a strong, rich resonance to Porgy's numbers and a focused brightness to the recitative. Porgy's They Pass By Singing made it clear, however, that balance between orchestra and singers was an issue: the orchestra needed to back off to avoid muddling Blackwell's dialogue. In fact, the audience lost much of the accompanied recitative throughout, unfortunately missing many of the powerful conversational nuances embedded in the dialogue among friends and between lovers.

Eric McKeever made Jake a dashing, vibrant character, proving that McKeever has plenty of leading man abilities. Maria (Stephanie Beadle) oversaw things from her elevated front porch, and what a presence she was: Struttin' Style demonstrated how well Beadle knows this role, having played it in numerous times previously. Tomas Elliott (the understudy for Friday night) made Crown a powerful villain, with just enough sex and seediness to really make an impact. Gershwin's syncopation pulsed underneath Serena's My Man's Gone Now, adding to Reyna Carguill's palpable grief; the choral segment that followed was fabulous.


Nothing much in Porgy and Bess aligns with Gershwin's formulaic popular songs; here there is much more to listen for. Highlights include De Lawd Shake de Heavens where the entire cast reveled in the expressive, gospel-infused number. One by one, community members sang to convince each other that everything would be fine if they trusted faith over anxiety. Here again, Blackwell could not compete and Porgy's dialogue, embedded in the choral number, was almost lost. Leavin' for de Promis' Land was a spirited number, featuring the best diction of the entire show. Gershwin set it in layered polyphony, but careful blocking preserved each personality.  Where's My Bess was another success: each character's attitude remained clear even in the thick vocal and instrumental textures: Porgy misses Bess; Serena is judging Bess, and Maria, in a strong contralto, denounces Bess. This all-black cast boasted a strong benchmark: one after another solo voice emerged in Gershwin's polyphony, to the point that it was almost distracting to try and determine which amazing voice was which.

In an opera that thrives on action sequences, the fights are critical: these events are essential to engaging a contemporary audience who craves something other than the typical, static opera sequence. Unfortunately, Robert Westley's fight choreography was weak. One assumes that men were men in Catfish Row, and that they would bring the same enthusiasm for craps games to their fisticuffs; this audience should have been treated to some tangible aggression.

Porgy and Bess takes immense stamina, vocally and physically, so to hear full voice and see full energy at end of this demanding show was admirable. Overall, the production at Yardley Hall pleased a full house.  John Farrell's set was rustic, convincing, and adaptable. The visual components had effective depth and verticality, while functionality remained key: to complement the dramatic continuity demanded by Gershwin's score, and to further support narrative momentum, each scene change was made in full view of the audience. At times, even the characters chipped in, while still singing, to move the set, so that there was a real seamlessness to the story throughout. Clever lighting effects by Susan Roth made the hurricane scenes stand out: lightning sparked realistically (and thunder literally shook the set) while the residents of Catfish Row huddled inside. I hope Samuel Bill reveled in the standing ovation, as his ensemble indeed earned some of it. He conducted a precise, colorful ensemble. The only complaint is that they seemed to know nothing but loud.

REVIEW
The Performing Arts Series at JCCC
The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
February 26 & 27, 2010
Yardley Hall at Carlsen Center
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
www.jccc.edu/home/depts.php/001440/site/toc_events

By Sarah Tyrrell

Opera, Vocal and Classical Contributor

Since 2004, Dr. Sarah Tyrrell has been part of the Musicology faculty at the UMKC Conservatory of Music. In 2003, she completed doctoral work at the University of Kansas and also holds degrees in music history and voice performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and Kansas State University. At UMKC, Sarah teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in music history and world music, as well as graduate seminars on American and Latin American musics. Sarah has presented her research locally and nationally (her research specialty is the art music of Brazil) and actively guest lectures about town on Brazilian popular subjects such as samba and bossa nova. Her articles and reviews have appeared in Musical Quarterly, Latin American Research Review, and Latin American Perspectives.

Sarah is also active in the Kansas City choral music scene: she is the Artistic Director of the Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City and also sings soprano with the group. This 60-voice ensemble presents four concerts each year and recently completed a performance tour of Brazil.