Broadway revival keeps the magic alive ‘Porgy and Bess’

February 3, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

There is no more apropos and celebrated musical production to stage during Black History Month than George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.”

First premiering in 1935, the Broadway performance featured a cast of classically trained African-American singers, which at that time pushed racial barriers. Similarly, Gershwin pushed musical boundaries of the era by combining European orchestral stylings with hints of jazz and even folk.

Then there’s the amazing score with legendary songs “Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “I Got Plenty of Nothing.”

The groundbreaking opera, which returned in 2012 to win the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, is currently touring. It makes its Northeast Ohio debut Tuesday through Feb. 16 at the Palace Theatre. Then it moves to Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center from Feb. 25 to March 2.

Pulitzer Prize finalist, two-time Obie Winner and master musician (composer, cellist, producer) Diedre L. Murray said she jumped at the chance to adapt the score.

“George Gershwin was a genius and a visionary, and was way ahead of his time,” said Murray, calling from New York City. “It’s a story about African-Americans in 1930s America. It’s a story about great passions and great loves, with the idea of taking jazz music and putting it into the concert halls. And the style in which it’s told hadn’t been seen before on that level.”

Based on DuBose Heyward’s novel “Porgy” (and the play of the same name), “Porgy and Bess” is set in Charleston’s Catfish Row, where the beautiful Bess struggles to break free from her scandalous past and her past lover Crown. It turns out the only one who can rescue her is the courageous Porgy. What ensues is a deep romance that is easily one of musical theater’s most exciting and lasting love stories.

Murray said that at the time it was first produced, racism kept African-Americans from playing certain parts in operas and musical theater. Considering Gershwin wrote the roles for African-Americans, that meant it opened doors for actors and actresses that had previously been closed.

As far as the fabled musical score, Murray said she let her passions lead the way.

“I’m a jazz musician, so of course I heard the jazz element in it,” Murray said. “Although, I was a cellist, which means I played classical music, of course. I also knew Gil Evans and of course Gil and Miles [Davis] did a very famous version of ‘Porgy & Bess.’ So the jazz is already in there.

“What I really did was kind of chase the focus of it and modernize it so modern ears can more easily enter the piece.”

Therein lies another aspect of the “Porgy & Bess” revival, rescuing the influential production from potentially falling between the cracks of history. While Murray stresses this was never a concern for her, the reality is she’s heard that comment from numerous people who have witnessed its magic.

And, oh what magic that is. At the very least, Northeast Ohio can use a little bit of “Summertime” right now, even if it’s inside a theater.

Murray laughed, “I can dig that, definitely.”