Porgy and Bess - 1935 - Broadway Articles Page 6

Cape Town Opera are set to bring their acclaimed production of The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS to Birmingham Hippodrome for the first time, opening Wednesday 6 - Saturday 9 June. The dates mark the first performances of their forthcoming UK tour prior to a two week run in London.

The Drama League has gathered together a team of Broadway's best to serve as Honorary Co-Chairs for the 78th Annual Drama League Awards set for Friday, May 18, 2012 at 12:00 p.m., at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway). The team of Broadway luminaries includes Nina Arianda, Christian Borle, Norbert Leo Butz, Kathleen Chalfant, Raul Esparza, Rosemary Harris, Jeremy Jordan, Christine Lahti, Linda Lavin, Norm Lewis, Judith Light, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare and Blair Underwood. The Honorary Co-Chairs serve as ambassadors for The Drama League Awards and the excellence of the New York theatre season, and welcome the attendees of the Awards Luncheon at a cocktail reception before the event.

In our time and place, the great Marriott Theatre to the north of Chicago, in Lincolnshire, in the collar county of Lake, has mounted a production of "The Pirates of Penzance" which officially opened this past weekend, and will run through June 10, 2012. It's directed by Dominic Missimi, a visionary musical theater director and teacher with vast experience and influence across the country, and especially here.

The Drama League has announced Drama League nominee Megan Hilty (9 To 5, "Smash") and Justin Long (Seminar) will co-host the announcement of the The 2012 Drama League Nominees for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at Sardi's. As in years past, the nominations ceremony will be broadcast worldwide via live stream right here on BroadwayWorld!

The revised book of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess has been the subject of much discussion since it's debut at A.R.T. last August, and according to Patrick Healy of the New York Times, there is still debate over its Tony eligibility. Last week, when the Tony administration committee made a decision regarding David Alan Grier's eligibility as a featured actor, they 'took no action' with the musical's updated book (by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray), thus making it ineligible for a 'Best Book' Tony Award.

The Drama League has announced that this year's 78th Annual Drama League Awards will be hosted by Tony Award winners Stockard Channing (Other Desert Cities) and John Larroquette (Gore Vidal's The Best Man). The awards ceremony is set for Friday afternoon, May 18th at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) at Noon. This year's Drama League Award Nominees will be announced Tuesday morning, April 24th at Sardi's.

The Drama League will honor three outstanding theatre luminaries at this year's 78th Annual Drama League Awards set for Friday afternoon, May 18th at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

George Gershwin's 'American folk opera,' Porgy and Bess, premiered in New York City in the fall of 1935, one year after the opening of The Apollo Theater. Both the play, and the theater, became icons within African-American culture. So it's only fitting, and perhaps overdue, that they would eventually join forces.

Let's just say, for the moment, that I owned the Venus de Milo.  I don't know how it happened.  Maybe some ancient Greek stone cuttings were found that led to a Middle Ages parchment that inspired someone to do some research on ancestry.com, but in any case, it has been indisputably determined that I am the sole owner of sculptor Alexandros of Antioch's Venus de Milo.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, January 22, 2012 - Sunday, January 22, 2012.

Today in 1942, the first revival of Porgy and Bess opened at the Majestic Theatre, where it ran for 286 performances. First performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward, it was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward. All three works deal with African-American life in the fictitious Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1920s. Originally conceived by George Gershwin as an 'American folk opera', Porgy and Bess premiered in New York in the fall of 1935 and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers-a daring artistic choice at the time.

The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS opened tonight, Thursday, January 12th, 2012 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre starring Audra McDonald as Bess, Norm Lewis as Porgy and David Alan Grier as Sporting Life. Let's see what the critics had to say!

Each year, the Library of Congress selects twenty-five culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films to be added to the National Film Registry and preserved. This year's films spanned everything from cartoons (Bambi) to silent films (The Kid) - and a film that inspired a Broadway show as well as a Broadway show that inspired the film.

Following a short tour in 2009 Cape Town Opera returns to the UK in 2012 to bring its production of Porgy and Bess to Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Canterbury and Southampton before arriving in London for a two week run at the London Coliseum.

Back in August, a controversy arose from a New York Yimes article that explained director Diane Paulus' new vision for the ART production, and soon to be Broadway transfer, of THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS. Specifically in reponse to Paulus' new 'final scene,' which gave the musical a more upbeat ending, theatre legend Stephen Sondheim wrote a memorable letter to the NYT about his thuoghts on the re-interpretation.

The Singing Hoosiers, one of America's most popular show choirs and often considered Indiana University's ambassadors of song, will pay tribute to one of Indiana's most iconic jazz composers, Cole Porter (1891-1964), in a free concert.

The Singing Hoosiers, one of America's most popular show choirs and often considered Indiana University's ambassadors of song, will pay tribute to one of Indiana's most iconic jazz composers, Cole Porter (1891-1964), in a free concert.

In a new interview with the LA Times out today, Audra McDonald addresses the 'perceived racism' in the upcoming Broadway transfer of Porgy & Bess that has haunted the show for some time. Noting the difference between artistic archetypes utilized in Porgy & Bess vs. stereotypes, McDonald is nothing short of a Porgy champion.

A.R.T. American Repertory Theater's (A.R.T.) production of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin will close on October 2 before moving to Broadway. The adaptation by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and Obie Award-winning composer Diedre L. Murray, directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus, with choreography by Ronald K. Brown, began previews on August 17. The production will begin previews at the Richard Rogers Theatre on December 17, 2011 in anticipation of a January 12, 2012 Broadway opening.

In honor of the 76th anniversary of the world premiere, Mayor Thomas M. Menino proclaimed today, Friday, September 30, 2011, as 'The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess' Day in the City of Boston.

In honor of the 76th anniversary of the world premiere, Mayor Thomas M. Menino proclaimed today, Friday, September 30, 2011, as 'The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess' Day in the City of Boston.

On August 31, American Repertory Theatre opened The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS. Written by Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, the A.R.T. production features an adaptation by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and Obie Award-winning composer Diedre L. Murray. It is directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus, with choreography by Ronald K. Brown. The show began previews on August 17 and is planning a Broadway transfer this winter. The production is scheduled to begin previews at the Richard Rogers Theatre on December 17, 2011 in anticipation of a January 12, 2012 Broadway opening. The marquee is going up at the Richard Rogers, and BroadwayWorld brings you photos below!

On August 31, American Repertory Theatre opened The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS. Written by Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, the A.R.T. production features an adaptation by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and Obie Award-winning composer Diedre L. Murray. It is directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus, with choreography by Ronald K. Brown. The show began previews on August 17 and is planning a Broadway transfer this winter. The production is scheduled to begin previews at the Richard Rogers Theatre on December 17, 2011 in anticipation of a January 12, 2012 Broadway opening. The first footage of the show has been released in a new commercial spot and BroadwayWorld brings you a first look below!

A.R.T. American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) will present The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, opening the A.R.T.'s 2011-2 season tonight, August 17 at the Loeb Drama Center. The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, is adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray, and directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus. Check out the first production shots below!

A.R.T. American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) will present The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, opening the A.R.T.'s 2011-2 season tonight, August 17 at the Loeb Drama Center. The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, is adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray, and directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus. Check out the first production shots below!