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Porgy and Bess
Musical
Opera
Revival
Broadway
Opening Date
Mar 10, 1953
Closing Date
Nov 28, 1953
Performances
305
Musical
Opera
Revival
Broadway
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Open Date: Mar 10, 1953
Close Date: Nov 28, 1953
Closed Flag: n
Is Final Week:
ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION
Theatres
Ziegfeld Theatre
(Mar 10, 1953 - Nov 28, 1953)
Description
An American folk opera in three acts
Setting
Charleston, South Carolina. The early 1930s. Catfish Row and Kittiwah Island.
People
Production Staff
Opening Night Cast
Replacements
Theatre Owned / Operated by
Billy Rose
Produced by
Blevins Davis
and
Robert Breen
Libretto by
DuBose Heyward
; Music by
George Gershwin
; Lyrics by
Ira Gershwin
and
DuBose Heyward
; Based on the play "Porgy" by
DuBose Heyward
and
Dorothy Heyward
; Musical Director:
Alexander Smallens
; Assistant Musical Dir.:
Samuel Matlovsky
; Choral Director:
Eva Jessye
Directed by
Robert Breen
Scenic Design by
Wolfgang Roth
; Costume Design by
Jed Mace
General Manager:
Ben Boyar
Stage Manager:
George Quick
; Assistant Stage Mgr:
Walter Riemer
,
Willis Daily
and
Jerry Laws
Assistant to General Manager:
Robert Dustin
; National Press Representative:
Bill Doll
; Associate Press Representative:
Robert Ullman
; Promotions:
Seymour Krawitz
; West Coast Representative:
Bill Watters
; Master Carpenter:
Lawrence Bland
Joseph Attles
Ensemble
Catherine Ayers
Annie
Irving Barnes
Porgy
Alternate
Ensemble
Jacqueline Barnes
Child
Lawson Bates
Ensemble
James Hawthorne Bey
Ensemble
Rhoda Boggs
Ensemble
Walter P. Brown
Ensemble
Georgia Burke
Maria
Miriam Burton
Ensemble
Sibol Cain
Ensemble
Cab Calloway
Sportin' Life
Elsie Clark
Ensemble
Helen Colbert
Clara
Charles Colman
Ensemble
Clarice Crawford
Ensemble
Joseph Crawford
Peter
The Honey Man
Willis Daily
Policeman
Hugh Dilworth
Joe
Helen Dowdy
Lily
Helen Ferguson
Ensemble
Elizabeth Foster
Ruby
Doris Galiber
Ensemble
John Garth
Ensemble
Ruby Greene
Ensemble
Kenneth Hibbert
Ensemble
George A. Hill
Ensemble
LeVern Hutcherson
Porgy
Alternate
Joseph James
Jake
Jebob
Porgy's Goat
Sam Kasakoff
Policeman
Coroner
Moses La Marr
Frazier
Jerry Laws
Mingo
The Undertaker
Urylee Leonardos
Bess
Alternate
John McCurry
Crown
Joy McLean
Ensemble
Pauline Phelps
Ensemble
Leontyne Price
Bess
Alternate
Edna Ricks
Ensemble
Walter Riemer
Detective
Howard Roberts
Robbins
Anabelle Ross
Ensemble
George Royston Jr.
Child
George A. Royston
Ensemble
Leslie Scott
Porgy
Alternate
Sherman Sneed
Jim
Delores Swan
Ensemble
Helen Thigpen
Serena
Clyde Turner
Ensemble
Eloise C. Uggams
Ensemble
William Veasey
Undertaker
Barbara Ann Webb
Ensemble
Ray Yeates
Crab Man
Swing:
Hugh Dilworth
Understudies:
Joseph Attles
(Crab Man, Sportin' Life),
Irving Barnes
(Porgy),
James Hawthorne Bey
(Mingo),
Rhoda Boggs
(Lily),
Walter P. Brown
(Crown),
Miriam Burton
(Serena),
Helen Colbert
(Bess),
Charles Colman
(Jake),
Willis Daily
(Detective),
Helen Dowdy
(Maria),
Helen Ferguson
(Annie),
Elizabeth Foster
(Bess),
Kenneth Hibbert
(Undertaker, Sportin' Life),
George A. Royston
(Peter),
Delores Swan
(Clara) and
Barbara Ann Webb
(Serena)
Ziegfeld Theatre
(Mar 10, 1953 - Nov 28, 1953)
Cast
Earl Jones
Ensemble
Catherine Van Buren
Ensemble
Understudy:
Earl Jones
(Crown)
Songs
music by
George Gershwin
; lyrics by
Ira Gershwin
Act 1
Sung By
Summertime
Clara
A Woman Is a Sometime Thing
Jim, Jake, Sportin' Life and Ensemble
They Pass By Singing
Porgy
Crap Game Fugue
Porgy
Gone, Gone, Gone
Ensemble
Overflow
Ensemble
My Man's Gone Now
Serena and Ensemble
Leavin' fo' de Promis' Lan
Bess and Ensemble
It Takes a Long Pull
Jim, Jake and Ensemble
I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
Porgy
Woman to Lady
Porgy, Bess, Frazier and Ensemble
Bess, You Is My Woman Now
Porgy and Bess
Oh I Can't Sit Down
Ensemble
Act 2
Sung By
I Ain't Got No Shame
Sportin' Life and Ensemble
It Ain't Necessarily So
Sportin' Life and Ensemble
What You Want With Bess?
Crown and Bess
Time and Time Again
Serena and Ensemble
Street Cries
Strawberry Woman and Crab Man
I Loves You, Porgy
Porgy and Bess
Oh de Lawd Shake de Heaven
Ensemble
A Red Headed Woman
Crown and Ensemble
Clara, Don't You Be Downhearted
Ensemble
There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York
Sportin' Life and Bess
Buzzard
Porgy
Where's My Bess?
Porgy
I'm On My Way
Porgy and Ensemble
Awards
Tony Award®
Stage Technician
1956 Nominee
Carpenter:
Lawrence Bland
People
Songs
Awards
Production Staff
Opening Night Cast
Replacements
Theatre Owned / Operated by
Billy Rose
Produced by
Blevins Davis
and
Robert Breen
Libretto by
DuBose Heyward
; Music by
George Gershwin
; Lyrics by
Ira Gershwin
and
DuBose Heyward
; Based on the play "Porgy" by
DuBose Heyward
and
Dorothy Heyward
; Musical Director:
Alexander Smallens
; Assistant Musical Dir.:
Samuel Matlovsky
; Choral Director:
Eva Jessye
Directed by
Robert Breen
Scenic Design by
Wolfgang Roth
; Costume Design by
Jed Mace
General Manager:
Ben Boyar
Stage Manager:
George Quick
; Assistant Stage Mgr:
Walter Riemer
,
Willis Daily
and
Jerry Laws
Assistant to General Manager:
Robert Dustin
; National Press Representative:
Bill Doll
; Associate Press Representative:
Robert Ullman
; Promotions:
Seymour Krawitz
; West Coast Representative:
Bill Watters
; Master Carpenter:
Lawrence Bland
Joseph Attles
Ensemble
Catherine Ayers
Annie
Irving Barnes
Porgy
Alternate
Ensemble
Jacqueline Barnes
Child
Lawson Bates
Ensemble
James Hawthorne Bey
Ensemble
Rhoda Boggs
Ensemble
Walter P. Brown
Ensemble
Georgia Burke
Maria
Miriam Burton
Ensemble
Sibol Cain
Ensemble
Cab Calloway
Sportin' Life
Elsie Clark
Ensemble
Helen Colbert
Clara
Charles Colman
Ensemble
Clarice Crawford
Ensemble
Joseph Crawford
Peter
The Honey Man
Willis Daily
Policeman
Hugh Dilworth
Joe
Helen Dowdy
Lily
Helen Ferguson
Ensemble
Elizabeth Foster
Ruby
Doris Galiber
Ensemble
John Garth
Ensemble
Ruby Greene
Ensemble
Kenneth Hibbert
Ensemble
George A. Hill
Ensemble
LeVern Hutcherson
Porgy
Alternate
Joseph James
Jake
Jebob
Porgy's Goat
Sam Kasakoff
Policeman
Coroner
Moses La Marr
Frazier
Jerry Laws
Mingo
The Undertaker
Urylee Leonardos
Bess
Alternate
John McCurry
Crown
Joy McLean
Ensemble
Pauline Phelps
Ensemble
Leontyne Price
Bess
Alternate
Edna Ricks
Ensemble
Walter Riemer
Detective
Howard Roberts
Robbins
Anabelle Ross
Ensemble
George Royston Jr.
Child
George A. Royston
Ensemble
Leslie Scott
Porgy
Alternate
Sherman Sneed
Jim
Delores Swan
Ensemble
Helen Thigpen
Serena
Clyde Turner
Ensemble
Eloise C. Uggams
Ensemble
William Veasey
Undertaker
Barbara Ann Webb
Ensemble
Ray Yeates
Crab Man
Swing:
Hugh Dilworth
Understudies:
Joseph Attles
(Crab Man, Sportin' Life),
Irving Barnes
(Porgy),
James Hawthorne Bey
(Mingo),
Rhoda Boggs
(Lily),
Walter P. Brown
(Crown),
Miriam Burton
(Serena),
Helen Colbert
(Bess),
Charles Colman
(Jake),
Willis Daily
(Detective),
Helen Dowdy
(Maria),
Helen Ferguson
(Annie),
Elizabeth Foster
(Bess),
Kenneth Hibbert
(Undertaker, Sportin' Life),
George A. Royston
(Peter),
Delores Swan
(Clara) and
Barbara Ann Webb
(Serena)
Ziegfeld Theatre
(Mar 10, 1953 - Nov 28, 1953)
Cast
Earl Jones
Ensemble
Catherine Van Buren
Ensemble
Understudy:
Earl Jones
(Crown)
music by
George Gershwin
; lyrics by
Ira Gershwin
Act 1
Sung By
Summertime
Clara
A Woman Is a Sometime Thing
Jim, Jake, Sportin' Life and Ensemble
They Pass By Singing
Porgy
Crap Game Fugue
Porgy
Gone, Gone, Gone
Ensemble
Overflow
Ensemble
My Man's Gone Now
Serena and Ensemble
Leavin' fo' de Promis' Lan
Bess and Ensemble
It Takes a Long Pull
Jim, Jake and Ensemble
I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
Porgy
Woman to Lady
Porgy, Bess, Frazier and Ensemble
Bess, You Is My Woman Now
Porgy and Bess
Oh I Can't Sit Down
Ensemble
Act 2
Sung By
I Ain't Got No Shame
Sportin' Life and Ensemble
It Ain't Necessarily So
Sportin' Life and Ensemble
What You Want With Bess?
Crown and Bess
Time and Time Again
Serena and Ensemble
Street Cries
Strawberry Woman and Crab Man
I Loves You, Porgy
Porgy and Bess
Oh de Lawd Shake de Heaven
Ensemble
A Red Headed Woman
Crown and Ensemble
Clara, Don't You Be Downhearted
Ensemble
There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York
Sportin' Life and Bess
Buzzard
Porgy
Where's My Bess?
Porgy
I'm On My Way
Porgy and Ensemble
Tony Award®
Stage Technician
1956 Nominee
Carpenter:
Lawrence Bland
PRODUCTIONS
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