Creating the Porgy and Bess musical in the early 1930s, composer George Gershwin - alongside DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin - did not intend for this piece to be an offensive portrayal of African Americans. In fact, they saw this work as progressive by developing something that featured Black lead characters played by Black cast members in a time of extreme racial inequality. However, the offensive stereotypes portrayed in the show where these characters are shown using violence, taking drugs, and living in poverty were damaging then and are still damaging today. Nevertheless, Porgy and Bess has benefited from a long history of varying productions all over the world. 

Porgy and Bess was originally a 1925 novel by DuBose Heyward, named Porgy, which was then adapted by the author with his wife, Dorothy Heyward into a play. The Gershwins then worked alongside DuBose to create this new jazz opera. The show initially was intended to have the same title as the novel and play but after working with Anne Brown, the actor in the role of Bess, this secondary character role was developed into a lead. Just before previews, at a lunch together, Gershwin told Brown: "I want you to know, Miss Brown, that henceforth and forever after, George Gershwin's opera will be known as Porgy and Bess." And the rest was history.

The show premiered at the Colonial Theatre in Boston on 30 September 1935 before transferring to the Alvin Theatre on Broadway on 10 October where it ran for 124 performances. As the Tony Awards did not begin until 1947, this production was unable to receive any nominations. The production starred Todd Duncan, alongside Brown as Porgy, with John W. Bubbles and Ruby Elzy. 

Following its Broadway closure, Porgy and Bess embarked upon a US National tour where it would be responsible for helping a monumental step toward racial equality in Washington DC. When at the National Theatre, the cast, led by Duncan, protested segregation and their demands were met. Their performance became the first with an integrated audience of any show at that venue!

In January 1942, the show was revived on Broadway for the first time. Director and producer Cheryl Crawford redeveloped Porgy and Bess to bring it into a more traditional musical theatre style, cutting the cast and orchestra and changing recitatives into spoken dialogue. Duncan and Brown reprised their leading roles until Etta Moten replaced Brown in June. The show ran for nine months at the Majestic Theatre, again missing the Tony Awards by five years.

Over forty years later, Porgy and Bess, was revived again, opening at the Radio City Music Hall in 1983, where finally the show was eligible for the Tonys. The show received two nominations for Best Performance by a Leading Actor for Michael V. Smartt as Porgy and George Faison earned a nomination for Best Choreography, the show failed to take home any of the awards.

For the third and final time, so far, Porgy and Bess, returned to Broadway in 2012 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Starring Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald in the titular leading roles, the show also featured David Alan Grier (Sportin’ Life), Phillip Boykin (Crown), Nikki Rennee Daniels (Clara), and Joshua Henry (Jake). This production went through vast changes from the original, similar to how Crawford had done in 1942, by adapting the opera into a style that would appeal greater to contemporary theatre audiences. The title also changed as director Diane Paulus renamed it The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. This was met with some negativity, notably from Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim wrote an editorial letter criticising the changes and minimisation of Heyward’s contribution to the original work. 

At the 66th Annual Tony Awards, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess received ten nominations including two wins for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Audra McDonald). Other accolades saw this production winning two Drama Desk awards for Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical (ACME Sound Partners) and Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Audra McDonald), the Distinguished Performance Drama League Award (Audra McDonald), the Outer Critics Circle Outstanding Actress in a Musical Award (Audra McDonald) and the Theatre World Award to Phillip Boykin. The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess ran until 23 September 2012.

In the UK, prior to the 2012 Broadway production, was the 2006 West End premiere of Porgy and Bess at the Savoy Theatre, also titled The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. Another version show had previously been performed at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Just as those before and after had done with this show, director Trevor Nunn made his own updates to the show to create a more conventionally musical theatre adaptation. In the lead roles were Clarke Peters and Nicola Hughes, neither of whom had operatic voices as had been the case for prior actors. The show sadly closed earlier than planned due to poor ticket sales.

Most recently in London, the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre ran The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess as part of their 2014 summer season. Nicola Hughes returned to her role, joined by Rufus Bonds Jr. as Porgy, Cedric Neal, Broadway’s Phillip Boykin and Sharon D. Clarke. This production received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Musical Revival.

Porgy and Bess is not alone as many popular shows throughout history depict damaging portrayals of ethnic groups. It is unlikely that the team behind creating the musical sought to create racist stereotypes however, as shown by the many adaptations of Porgy and Bess over the years, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to develop it for modern audiences.

FACTS:

Music: George Gershwin

Lyrics: DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin 

Book: DuBose Heyward

Original Broadway Theatre: Alvin Theatre

Original Production Run: 10 October 1935 - January 1936

1942 Revival Broadway Theatre: Majestic Theatre

1983 Revival Broadway Theatre: Radio City Music Hall

2012 Revival Broadway Theatre: Richard Rodgers Theatre

TONYS:

1983 Production:

NOMINATED: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical - Michael V. Smartt, Best Choreography - George Faison.

2012 Production:

WON: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical - Audra McDonald.

NOMINATED: Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical - Norm Lewis, Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical - Phillip Boykin, Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical - David Alan Grier, Best Costume Design of a Musical - ESosa, Best Sound Design of a Musical - ACME Sound Partners, Best Direction of a Musical - Diane Paulus, Best Orchestrations - William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke.

2012 Broadway performance at the Tony Awards: