BY KAREN BOSSICK
Be transported to Catfish Row today when Sun Valley Opera and Metropolitan Theatres presents “Porgy and Bess.”
The live opera broadcast from the New York Metropolitan Opera will be screened at 11 a.m. today—Saturday, Feb. 1—at the Big Wood 4 Cinemas in Hailey as part of the 2019-20 MET HD season. Doors open at 10:15 a.m. for coffee provided by Hailey Coffee Company.
James Robinson’s production transports audiences to the Charleston, S.C., waterfront as it depicts the joys and struggles of a black neighborhood in the early 20th century. It tells the story of Porgy, a disabled street beggar who tries to rescue Bess from a violent and possessive lover and her drug dealer.
One of America’s favorite operas it features music by George Gershwin, including the very popular “Summertime.”
First performed in Boston in 1935, the play moved to Broadway where it featured a class of classically trained African-American singers, which was considered a daring move at that time.
Now, it’s one of the best-known and most frequently performed operas. In fact, so many people wanted to see the play at The Met that The Met added three additional performances this month.
Eric Owens and Angel Blue star in this version, supported by an ensemble that includes Golda Schultz, Latonia Moore, Denyce Graves, Frederick Ballentine and Alfred Walker.
Tickets are $16.
COMING UP: George Frideric Handel’s “Agrippina” on Feb. 29.