A new staging of Porgy and Bess opened September 23 at the Metropolitan Opera, marking the start of the New York City opera house’s 2019–2020 season.
Eric Owens and Angel Blue take on the title roles of the Gershwin and Heyward opera, leading a cast that also includes Golda Schultz as Clara, Latonia Moore as Serena, Denyce Graves as Maria, Frederick Ballentine as Sportin’ Life, Alfred Walker as Crown, and Ryan Speedo Green as Jake.
The staging, a co-production with English National Opera and Dutch National Opera, hails from director James Robinson. David Robertson conducts.
Read what critics thought of the New York production in the reviews below.
New York Classical Review (George Grella)
New York Magazine/Vulture (Justin Davidson)
The New York Times (Anthony Tommasini)
The Wall Street Journal (Heidi Waleson)
The Washington Post (Anne Midgette)
Playbill will continue to update this list as more reviews come in.
The creative team also boasts a handful of Broadway veterans. The production features choreography by Tony nominee Camille A. Brown, costumes by Tony winner Catherin Zuber, sets by Tony winner Michael Yeargan, lighting by Tony winner Donald Holder, and projection design by Luke Halls.
The Met continues its tradition of broadcasting the opening-night presentation live on screens throughout Times Square. Performances continue through October 16, with the staging returning to the repertory for seven performances in early 2020.
