NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Oh Lord, I'm On My Way..." On the Road with Porgy and Bess' Sarita Rachelle LillySarita Rachelle Lilly, who is featured as The Strawberry Woman in the current national tour of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, shares photos from the road. She documents a recent stop in Washington DC, including a tour of the Library of Congress' Porgy and Bess exhibit, followed by a trip down to the warmer climate of Florida.
By
Matthew Blank
February 26, 2014
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Oh Lord, I'm On My Way..." On the Road with Porgy and Bess' Sarita Rachelle Lilly
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Oh Lord, I'm On My Way..." On the Road with Porgy and Bess' Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Sarita Rachelle Lilly, who is featured as The Strawberry Woman in the current national tour of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, shares photos from the road. She documents a recent stop in Washington DC, including a tour of the Library of Congress' Porgy and Bess exhibit, followed by a trip down to the warmer climate of Florida.
40 PHOTOS
Christmas dinner made by Chauncey Packer to help give comfort to those of us away from our families for the holiday.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Theatre orientation and finding my way around backstage
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Our sound check and first time onstage at The National Theatre. It was so surreal to be on that stage knowing the history we were standing in and on.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Raymond A. White of the Music Division at the Library of Congress gave us a private tour of the exhibits from the Gershwin room in the Library of Congress. We had the chance to look at all many of the original artifacts from the show.
The playbill from the Porgy and Bess when it opened at the Colonial Theater in Boston
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Music from the closing number
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Some of the original lyrics to “Summertime” with notes from George Gershwin
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
After we looked at the Gershwin exhibit, we had the chance to tour the entire Library of Congress.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Group shot on the stage within the Library of Congress
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Not a bad view
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
A final look at the historic National Theatre
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Interior of Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, FL
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Here’s the wonderful birthday love I received! It was totally unexpected and overwhelming.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Selfie taken before opening night at the Kravis Center
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Quick beach trip taken before on our final two show day at the Kravis Center
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Aaah soft white sand! My feet…LOL
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Group photo of me, Cheryse McLeod Lewis and Nicole Adell Johnson soaking in the beautiful Sunday sun before a show
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Photo taken between shows on my birthday – Dwelvan David’s bunny ears
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Photo taken between shows on my birthday – Roosevelt Andre Credit, Dwelvan David, Quentin Oliver Lee, Tamar Greene, Cheryse McLeod Lewis, Lindsay Roberts, and Denisha Ballew are visible, but the entire cast was present to sing Happy Birthday.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Our walk to work at the Straz Center in Tampa, FL.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
We had a huge swing moment in Tampa. Cicily Daniels swang on as Mariah mid-scene during one of the performances. I made her pose in her Mariah picnic outfit during intermission.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Tampa Black Heritage Festival at the Children’s’ Glazer Museum campus
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Chauncey Packer and me at the Tampa Black Heritage Festival appearance (photo by Roosevelt André Credit).
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess cast attended the Tampa Black Heritage Festival (2nd row: Quentin Oliver Lee, Nathaniel Stampley, Erik Birkeland, Chauncey Packer, Dwelvan David, 1st row: Fred Rose, Adrianna Cleveland and Sarita Rachelle Lilly)
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Chauncey Packer also got to swing on for Sporting Life during our Saturday 2-show day in Tampa.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Theatre Orientation at Artis-Naples in Naples, FL.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Theatre Orientation at Artis-Naples in Naples, FL.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Sumayya Ali and I get ready for our first performance
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Some of the company members took a private tour of the holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Company Barbecue!
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Company Barbecue!
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Company Barbecue!
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Company Barbecue!
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Group shot before leaving sunny Florida
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
The final connection to Greenville, SC. Catfish Row is based on Cabbage Row in Charleston, SC, so we were all excited to bring this production to South Carolina.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Our first snow fall on tour actually happened in the South. This is the view from my hotel window.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Sound check at the Peace Center
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Our opening night party was cancelled due to snow and ice, but our hotel Crowne Plaza kept their bar open late so we could have an impromptu opening night celebration. Here’s Alicia Hall Moran and Soara-Joye Ross.
Sarita Rachelle Lilly
Thanks for following! Come check out The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess in a city near you.
The Gershwin and Heyward estates enlisted Tony-winning Hair and Pippin director Diane Paulus to help bring new context to Porgy and Bess for contemporary audiences, whittling the American folk opera down from four hours to a two-and-a-half-hour running time. It opened to critical acclaim on Broadway Jan. 12, 2012, earning the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The production concluded its Broadway run Sept. 23, 2012, after 321 performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
Porgy and Bess has music by George Gershwin, lyrics by his brother Ira and a book and additional lyrics by DuBose Heyward. It is based on the play Porgy, by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward. To reinvigorate the characters and bolster the dramatic impact of the story, Paulus brought on board Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog, Book of Grace), who is credited with adaptation and additional scenes, and Pulitzer Prize nominee Diedre Murray (Running Man), credited with musical adaptation.
Alicia Hall Moran, who stars as Bess, understudied Tony Award winner Audra McDonald in the Broadway revival of the musical, in addition to performing the role on Wednesday evenings. Nathaniel Stampley, who stars as Porgy, portrayed Robbins in the revival and also covered the role of Porgy.
The cast also features Alvin Crawford as Crown, Kingsley Leggs as Sportin' Life, Sumaya Ali as Clara, Denisha Ballew as Serena, Danielle Lee Greaves as Mariah and David Hughey as Jake.
According to the producers, Porgy and Bess "is set in Charleston's fabled Catfish Row, where the beautiful Bess struggles to break free from her scandalous past, and the only one who can rescue her is the crippled but courageous Porgy. Threatened by her formidable former lover Crown, and the seductive enticements of the colorful troublemaker Sporting Life, Porgy and Bess' relationship evolves into a deep romance that triumphs as one of theatre's most exhilarating love stories."
The work includes such songs as "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," "I Loves You, Porgy," "My Man's Gone Now," "There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York," "Summertime," "I Got Plenty o' Nothin'" and "It Ain't Necessarily So."
The creative team includes choreographer Ronald K. Brown, set designer Riccardo Hernandez, costume designer Emilio Sosa and Tony Award-winning lighting designer Christopher Akerlind. Acme Sound Partners design sound. Orchestrations are by William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke, with music supervision by Constantine Kitsopolous. Musical director-conductor for the tour is Dale Rieling.
PS Classics recorded a cast album of the new incarnation of the work.
Wicked, injecting a new backstory onto the classic tale The Wizard of Oz, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues to be an audience favorite at the Gershwin Theatre.
