Upcoming Events...

In recognition of the 75th anniversary of Porgy & Bess, Cotuit Center for the Arts will present Porgy & Bess: Music & Stories, four staged concerts featuring selected arias and ensemble pieces from the famous folk opera. This will be the premier performance of this show on Cape Cod with unique arranging and staging. There will also be a two piano arrangement with Robert Wyatt and Jared McMurray which will punctuate the individual performances.  Throughout the evening, Dr. Wyatt will also present information focusing on the historical and cultural significance of the opera.  Some of the featured arias include: I Got Plenty, Summertime, It Ain’t Necessarily So, and Bess You Is My Woman.

Porgy & Bess, an “American folk opera,” opened in New York City’s Alvin Theatre on October 10, 1935. George Gershwin, his brother Ira and co-librettists and lyricists DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, crafted an intense musical drama that ultimately spawned a furious debate about authenticity, musical style and form, racial prejudice and national identity. The music and lyrics have survived more that 70 years and the work’s stature is unsurpassed in the American operatic repertoire.

Each performance of Porgy & Bess: Music & Stories will be preceded by a lecture given by Professor Morgan James “Mwalim” Peters, who is cast as Sportin’ Life in the show, entitled ‘It Ain't Necessarily So:’ the legacy of white fantasies, the Black experience, and the importance of Black Theater. Audiences are invited to participate in a question and answer session with the entire cast following each performance.

Performances are on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 8:00 pm, Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm and Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 2:00 pm. The lecture is offered one hour prior to showtime.