Porgy and Bess 1935

When it comes to concerts, Audra McDonald says she’s learned to choose a song list that really appeals to her. And she’s done just that for her current tour, which will bring her to Symphony Hall for her eighth appearance with the Celebrity Series of Boston, this time with an orchestra of local musicians, on February 27.

Nevin Steinberg, the award-winning sound designer for such Broadway shows as Hamilton (2015), Sweeney Todd (2023), and Hadestown (2019), will become the President of the Board of Trustees of Town Hall.

MUSE/IQUE presents 'Gospel and the King: Elvis' at First Congregational Church LA on October 19 and 21.

This July, Des Moines Metro Opera (DMMO) will present the Iowa premiere of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess in honor of international opera star and Iowa native Simon Estes upon the announcement of his operatic farewell.

Des Moines Metro Opera (DMMO) names Dr. Naomi André as Scholar-in-Residence for the 2022 Festival Season. The residency is made possible through a Humanities Iowa Grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. 

Another lovely early evening of pure dance bliss. Sun still shining on another ideal California spring day; the final performance in the three-part dance series by nine talented and soul-sharing dancers included Shari Washington Rhone, Justin Edmonson, Latrice Postell, Kacy Keys, Chris Smith, Tashara Gavin-Moorehead, Laura Ann Smyth, Alex Rasmussen and Bernard Brown; all a part of JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble. They performed mainly outside on the grounds surrounding the Library.​​​​​​​ This was the third and final performance of the Brand Associates Dance series that included Nickerson-Rossi Dance, Tropicaleiza and 4 weekends of workshops. Pat Taylor is a master at her craft. She created and is Artistic Director/Choreographer for the prestigious jazz dance company established in 1993. She not only chooses her music, dancers, production people, etc. to gel with her initial idea for a dance piece; she develops it with input from all the dancers as well, and creates through her emotions, her knowledge, love and history in Dance, and what she draws from each of her full-of-joy/life dancers... and they are into it! The program consists of excerpts from a new work they are now continuing to develop, after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, entitled “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” which, Pat Taylor explained, “celebrates music and reflections by renowned African-American women that are jazz artists, activists and engagers. It is a celebration of community, and a soul-stirring shout-out to living, learning and loving.

Yale Repertory Theatre will conclude its 2022 season with Between Two Knees. The play, written by the intertribal sketch comedy troupe The 1491s and directed by Eric Ting, is presented with Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Between Two Knees will be performed May 12–June 4 at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street).

The Metropolitan Opera today announced its 2022–23 season, which features seven new productions, the most in ten seasons. Opening Night is September 27 with the company premiere of Cherubini’s Medea, starring soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role alongside tenor Matthew Polenzani in David McVicar’s new staging, conducted by Carlo Rizzi.

Multiple Grammy/Emmy Award winner Gordon Goodwin returns to forefront of adventurous compositions and modern jazz with 'The Reset,' an urgent and topical 5-song EP, a bold foray into the intersection of composition and improvisation, a futuristic excursion brimming with purpose and cursive.

There are so many things to like about the season’s revival of Gershwin’s PORGY & BESS, which was new in the 2019-2020 season, before Covid became the “song” that no one wanted to hear. PORGY on the other hand, is the music that everybody can take a liking to, with its fluid combination of opera, Broadway musical and versions of spirituals and Gullah folk music that nobody ever heard before. It has been best known for its songs, which have become “standards” in the Broadway songbook. The stylistic shifts in the complex, yearning, comic score are handled mightily by the Met’s game orchestra under David Robinson.

Historical themes have always been incorporated into stage shows, from classic Broadway musicals to contemporary productions. Contrary to what some may believe, not all historical-themed productions are old Broadway musicals. Several historical musicals have gone on to become classics, though this is not specifically a golden age musicals list.

Des Moines Metro Opera's General and Artistic Director Michael Egel announced today the repertory for the company's 50th Anniversary Season alongside the launch of the public phase of a $15 million fundraising campaign, 50 Next: Giving Voice to the Future.

Martin Scorsese, Irwin Winkler and director John Carney are teaming up for a new film based on composer George Gershwin. Titled Fascinating Rhythm, the movie is described as 'a young woman’s magical journey through past and present New York City, inspired by the life and music of American composer George Gershwin.'

On Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 5pm PST, Music@Menlo presents violinist Kristin Lee and pianist Orion Weiss in an online concert, Mutual Admiration – Gershwin and Ravel, as part of its Explorers Series, featuring brand new performances from Music@Menlo artists.

Lana Del Rey has released a new video performing Summertime by George Gershwin.

On October 11, Chicago Phil Chamber returns for its second outdoor, socially-distanced concert of the season, Chicago Phil Brass, in the parking lot of the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie .

Richard Skipper Celebrates HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE GERSHWIN with Richard Glazier, Saturday evening, September 26th at 8PM ET/5PM PT. The virtual event will stream LIVE through Richard Skipper Celebrates on Facebook and YouTube. 

Though the reach of Gershwin's classic tunes has proved vast, no other song from his canon has quite matched the monumental success of Porgy and Bess' opening aria, 'Summertime.'

We've rounded up 10 books about Black theatre to read and educate yourself while in quarantine. 

The Metropolitan Opera gets an Encore at The Ridgefield Playhouse this Summer

How do we make a list of the 101 greatest show tunes from the past 100 years? Well, we did the near-impossible task.  Check out our full list here! 

Today, the Metropolitan Opera announced its 2020-21 season, the first in which Yannick Nézet-Séguin assumes his full breadth of musical duties as the company's Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, conducting six productions. His schedule includes the Met premiere of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, the first contemporary opera conducted by the maestro on the Met stage, as part of his ongoing commitment to opera of our time at the Met, which will expand in the seasons to come.

MGM has set Dee Rees is set to write and direct a feature film adaptation of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess for MGM, according to Deadline.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City General Director and CEO Deborah Sandler today announced the company's 2020-2021 season. It features four mainstage productions, including The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess and The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, both of which are being performed on a Lyric Opera of Kansas City stage for the first time. Two all-time favorites known for incomparable melodies - Verdi's beloved La traviata and Bizet's passionate Carmen - round out the extraordinarily diverse season. The Kansas City Symphony Orchestra will accompany all performances at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Find biographies of the casts and creative teams at Lyric Opera of Kansas City and find high-resolution photos here.

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess returns to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time since 1990, in a new production directed by James Robinson in his company debut. Starring Eric Owens and Angel Blue and conducted by David Robertson. Porgy and Bess comes to the big screen at The Ridgefield Playhouse in a LIVE simulcast on Saturday, February 1st at 12:55pm, part of the Classical Series, underwritten by Jeanne Cook, Liz & Steven Goldstone, and Sabina & Walter Slavin with support from Whistle Stop Bakery.