Opera Pacific will present a full concert version of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (October 4-5, 2006) during the opening celebration for the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, which is part of the Orange County Performing Arts Center's expansion.
The cast will include Donnie Ray Albert as Porgy, Angela Brown as Bess, Gregg Baker as Crown, Jermaine Smith as Sportin' Life, Los Angeles native Anita Johnson as Clara, and Henrietta E. Davis in her debut as Serena.
Porgy and Bess, with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward and lyrics by Heyward, will give Opera Pacific's audience the
first chance to see and hear an operatic performance in the new space.
Porgy and Bess' score includes such classics as "Summertime", "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin", "Bess, You
is My Woman Now"," It Ain't Necessarily So" and "I Loves You, Porgy."
Opera Pacific Artistic Director John DeMain will conduct the Opera Pacific Chorus and Orchestra for
Porgy and Bess. DeMain said, "I am most pleased to be returning to the work that I have been most identified with over my career -
Porgy and Bess - to help open the new Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall."
"Gershwin's 1935 masterpiece
Porgy and Bess did not gain complete respect as an opera until 1976, when DeMain led the landmark Houston Grand Opera production of the work, directed by
Jack O'Brien, using the complete score. DeMain and Houston Grand Opera established this American work as one of the masterpieces of opera with a production that became historic. DeMain also won a 1977 Grammy for Best Opera Recording of
Porgy. A decade later Opera Pacific opened its residency at the Orange County Performing Arts Center with
Porgy and now the company will use it to inaugurate the new Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Donnie Ray Albert, who sang Porgy in the original 1976 Houston Grand Opera production, returns to lead a dream cast that includes Angela Brown - Opera Pacific's Aïda in the 2005-2006 season - as Bess, and Gregg Baker as Crown," according to press notes.
Porgy and Bess is also a part of the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Celebration 2006 - and the American-Russian Festival: The Jazz Connection in collaboration with the Pacific Symphony. Celebration 2006 is a six-week festival, commemorating the opening of the Concert Hall and The Center's 20th Anniversary. It focuses on the connections between Jazz and Russia, as expressed through the music of Stravinsky, Gershwin, and Bernstein, composers of Russian descent who were influenced by jazz.
"In just twenty-one seasons, Opera Pacific has established itself as one of the finest professional opera companies in the nation. Opera Pacific's mainstage productions, extensive community outreach programs, and energetic Guild Alliance combine to create a cultural resource for all of Southern California. An audience of more than 670,000 have enjoyed Opera Pacific's productions at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, while over 575,000 young people have discovered the world of opera through the company's in-school presentations, Student Previews, and nationally recognized Opera Camps."
Opera Pacific's 21st season (2006-2007) includes three operas produced by Opera Pacific in The Center's Segerstrom Hall: Mozart's
Don Giovanni from January 17-27, 2007, followed by Bizet's
Carmen from February 28 to March 10, 2007, and Donizetti's
The Elixir of Love, performing April 11-22, 2007.
The season begins with two special events. The first is the full concert version of Gershwin's
Porgy and Bess. The second special event is the full production of Mussorgsky's
Boris Godunov by the Kirov Opera of the Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg, Russia (October 13-15, 2006) at Segerstrom Hall.
Boris Godunov, presented in cooperation with the Orange County Performing Arts Center, is part of the Center-wide Mariinsky Festival. Kirov Artistic Director Valery Gergiev, acclaimed for his work as a conductor, will lead the performances.
Tickets for
Porgy and Bess are priced from $50 to $140 and are available by calling 1 800 34 OPERA (1-800-346-7372), online, or by visiting the Orange County Performing Arts Center Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For information, go to
www.operapacific.org. For groups, call (714) 830-6361.
Photo--Angela Brown
