Returned very early this morning from seeing “Porgy and Bess” on Broadway. The ten Tony nominations are no mistake! This production
is all-the-way theater, a revival that gives new dimensions to the characters,
molding them with more depth and realism, but still within the context of 1930s Catfish Row. With the brilliant Suzan-Lori Parks authoring the story adaptation,
and give-it-all-you’ve-got Audra McDonald playing Bess, I much prefer seeing “Porgy”
on this musical stage than the opera stage. Parks’ dramatic edginess (see “Top
Dog Under Dog”) made me feel as if I were seeing this masterpiece for the first
time. The beloved musical score (riveting adaption) as performed by this orchestra and
cast turned me inside out! Go ... see!! Here I am with Norm Lewis ("Porgy") and Phillip Boykin ("Crown").
