Porgy and Bess

The Origins of Porgy and Bess

Porgy and Bess follows the narrative of the play more closely than that of the novel. Porgy, a disabled man who makes his living begging and gambling, falls in love with Bess in 1930s Charleston, South Carolina. The drug-addicted Bess is trying to get away from her abusive lover, Crown, and her persistent and profane drug dealer, Sportin’ Life. Porgy accidentally kills Crown while attempting to protect Bess from him. While Porgy is being questioned by the police, Sportin’ Life uses Bess's addiction to entice her into accompanying him to New York. Upon discovering that Bess has left him, Porgy sets out to find her.

An actual native of Charleston, Samuel Smalls, was the inspiration for the title character of Heyward's novel. He lived in an all-black slum on Church Street known as Cabbage Row, on which the fictitious Catfish Row was based. Like Porgy, he rode in a goat-driven cart due to a physical impairment. Heyward wrote some of the novel's speeches in Gullah, an English Creole spoken in some parts of the southeastern coast of the United States. The success of the novel led the Heywards to adapt it for the stage. Porgy was produced twice on Broadway, once in 1927 and again in 1929.

George Gershwin first read Porgy in 1926, and immediately, his interest in collaborating with the Heywards on a musical adaptation was piqued. Nevertheless, scheduling conflicts did not afford the opportunity to begin work until [Page 1738]1933. They conducted research in Folly Beach, a small island off the coast of Charleston, before returning to New York to complete the opera. Although DuBose Heyward contributed most of the text, Ira Gershwin did write the lyrics to many of the opera's best-known songs. Gershwin was inspired by jazz, work songs, spirituals, and other genres of African American music; in fact, he stipulated in his will that performance rights were to be granted only to productions employing black singers.

Production History

To perform the score, a large group of African American classical singers was engaged, with Anne Brown, Todd Duncan, and John W. Bubbles essaying leading roles. The first performance of Porgy and Bess occurred in 1935, in a private concert at Carnegie Hall. Gershwin made a number of emendations prior to its Broadway opening on October 10, 1935, at the Alvin Theatre. Rouben Mamoulian assumed directing responsibilities. Noted African American choirmaster Eva Jessye was selected to direct the choristers. The production was met by a lukewarm reception from critics and audiences alike.

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