Houston Grand Opera to Open Season with THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will launch its 2025–26 season with The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, beginning October 24 at the Wortham Theater Center. The production is directed by Francesca Zambello and stars bass-baritone Michael Sumuel as Porgy and soprano Angel Blue as Bess.

To meet demand, the opera will be presented in nine performances, with internationally recognized conductor James Gaffigan leading the first six and HGO Chorus Director Richard Bado conducting the final three.

The staging marks the 50th anniversary of HGO’s influential 1976 production, which restored George and Ira Gershwin’s full original score and went on to Broadway, earning both a Tony Award and a Grammy. Set in the fictional Catfish Row, Porgy and Bess tells the story of a disabled beggar and a woman battling addiction, whose love unfolds against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South. Its score blends jazz, blues, spirituals, and classical traditions into enduring songs including “Summertime” and “Bess, You Is My Woman Now.”

Performances will feature Michael Sumuel as Porgy, Angel Blue as Bess, Latonia Moore in her HGO mainstage debut as Serena, Blake Denson as Crown, and Demetrious Sampson, Jr. as Sportin’ Life. Baritone Donnie Ray Albert, who sang Porgy in the 1976 HGO production, returns as Lawyer Frazier.

Special audience initiatives include the Nov. 7 Under 40 Friday, offering $40 orchestra seats to attendees under 40, and the Nov. 9 matinee, featuring a reception for Overture, HGO’s LGBTQIA+ social group. The opera runs three hours, with one intermission, and will be sung in English with projected text.

Performance Information

• Dates: Oct. 24–Nov. 15, 2025 (nine performances)

• Venue: Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas Ave., Houston

• Tickets: $25–$210, available at HGO.org or by calling 713-228-6737. Student tickets are available for $25 one month before opening.