Porgy and Bess is a fairly famous musical with lots of history behind it, but I don't really know much of it. My evaluation of the show probably differs greatly from that of someone who has seen the original and has nostalgic feelings about it, either good or bad. I know that it was originally an opera, consisting of all singing. The production that I saw had a fair amount of singing, but also a good amount of spoken dialogue as well. My review is going to have some spoilers in it because this is a well-known story and has been around for nearly 100 years at this point.
The show takes place in the south, in a poor black community called Catfish Row in the 1920's or 1930's. Porgy is a disabled beggar who seems to suffer from club foot (at least that's what it looks like, I'm not totally sure), and he offers help to Bess, a drug addicted woman with loose morals. Bess is trying to break away from her checkered past and her lover Crown, who has recently killed someone in self-defense. Porgy and Bess develop a loving relationship, and this causes Porgy to find a source of happiness in his life and prompts Bess to make positive changes and become a part of the community. Unfortunately, there are many problems for both Porgy and the community, which include Crown's desire to run away with Bess, a drug dealing pimp named Sportin' Life, and crooked policemen.
Because the show is a reboot of an existing story, my review of the plot is a bit tainted. I feel like I have to give the show a pass on certain things because the writers have to work within the confines of what was already there. There are certain things in the story that I just don't understand, like why the townspeople don't tell the police that Crown killed Robbins at the beginning of the story. Although Crown kills Robbins in self defense, he is a violent, drug addicted criminal who will surely be a problem for Bess. Even if they don't want to tell on him at the beginning, why wouldn't they townspeople tell on Crown once Bess and Porgy get together? Crown is hated and doesn't have any friends. There's also a scene where Bess submits to Crown's violent sexual advances, but she returns back to the community as if she's experienced some kind of sickness and psychotic episode. She doesn't look very sick in the previous scene, but she's in really rough shape afterwards.
The story's ending is definitely not a happy one, but it is left open-ended; one could make the argument that a positive ending would eventually happen, but I think more people would likely make the argument that there's going to be more heartache in store for the characters.
One thing that I really enjoyed about the show is that there are many characters, but it is easy to remember who everyone is. There's a whole pack of folk, but everyone refers to everyone so often that you won't forget a name during the performance. I know this may seem like a silly positive note, but I always hate it when either a movie, play, or television show hits you with many names all at once, and the names are sometimes difficult to remember, so you end up being confused by some dialogue.
There are many songs throughout the show, but they never feel excessive, which is probably a testament to both the singers and the songs. Generally, when I see most musicals, I get sick of the musical numbers by the end of the show. I never once felt this way, and I wouldn't have had a problem with another song or two.
Everyone in the show gave an impressive performance. Audra McDonald was totally believable as Bess, and her voice was pretty amazing. Although her voice was amazing, because of her opera-like style of singing, there were times where I had to focus very hard on exactly what she was singing. She's not the only singer who does this throughout the show, and it isn't a huge deal, but it is worth mentioning. Norm Lewis played an equally impressive Porgy, and he was able to perform the entire show with his leg twisted to the side. Initially, I thought there was perhaps some kind of trick to his costume which made it appear that his leg was constantly twisted to the side, but it is just him actually twisting it. Finally, David Alan Grier is so much fun as Sportin' Life, you still find him humorous and enjoyable although the character is possibly the most despicable villain in the show.
Although I really enjoyed the content of the show, the set was nothing that special, at all. This was probably done intentionally, but I was not a big fan of this. There's a shabby wooden floor, and there some moments where cast members sit down pieces of furniture to "build" the next scene. You're going to have to use some imagination during the play because Porgy's home looks the same as the picnic field which looks the same as the funeral which looks the same as the fishing pier. There's no real difference. The scene with the hurricane has some limited effects, but it really is nothing special.
Out of the three shows that I attended, this one had the largest theater by far. There were nearly 70 steps to get to the level where my seat was, which was a trip that many people struggled with, including an elderly woman who had to stop and take a break. The seats were extremely comfortable, and the staff there was very polite and helpful.
I give Porgy and Bess a 9 out of 10. It is definitely worth seeing, whether you are a big fan of musicals or not.
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