Audra McDonald Talks About Becoming Bess in The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS
ANDY DRACHENBERG: How did you first hear about The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess, and what captivated you about it? AUDRA McDONALD: Diane Paulus and I were both at an event in London some years ago and she made mention of it then. I’d been hearing about a lot of productions of Porgy and Bess for a long time, so I […]
Spotlight Interview with Joshua Henry
ANDY DRACHENBERG: When you first heard about Porgy and Bess, what about this story captivated you as something you wanted to work on? JOSHUA HENRY – I think what continues to stir me the most about this story is the “against the odds” love connection between a man who is crippled and a woman who is a […]
Diane Paulus Talks The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS, from Dream to Fruition
ANDY DRACHENBERG: What about The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS captivated you as something you wanted to work on? DIANE PAULUS: I remember seeing Porgy and Bess at the New York City Opera and I had two memories from that experience: one was being overwhelmed by the number of hit songs in this opera – it was like hit after […]
Spotlight Interview with David Alan Grier (2.0)
ANDY DRACHENBERG – Let’s start at the beginning – What about Porgy and Bess as a work captivated you as something you wanted to work on? DAVID ALAN GRIER – Well, Diane was directing it, Suzan-Lori Parks was doing the adaptation with the approval of The Gershwin Foundation, Porgy and Bess had not been done on the musical stage in […]
From South Carolina to Broadway, Phillip Boykin Talks The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS
ANDY DRACHENBERG: How did you get involved with The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS? PHILLIP BOYKIN: When I was a young boy in West Greenville, South Carolina, I saw the album cover with Leontyne Price and William Warfield in the title roles of Porgy and Bess. These African-Americans on the cover were role models I could identify with […]
Interview with Norm Lewis
ANDY DRACHENBERG: When you first heard about Porgy and Bess, what captivated you as something you wanted to work on? NORM LEWIS: I always loved the music – it’s timeless. When I found out the other people who were possibly going to be involved with it… Audra McDonald (whoo!), David Alan Grier, and Diane Palus – to get to […]
Interview with Suzan-Lori Parks
Andy Drachenberg – What about The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess captivated you as something you wanted to work on? Suzan-Lori Parks – I was at home one day, minding my own business, and Diane Paulus e-mailed me asking if I was available to talk, not really knowing what the conversation was going to be. She called me up and said […]
Ronald K. Brown Discusses Creating Dance for The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS
ANDY DRACHENBERG: What about The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS as a work captivated you as something you wanted to work on? RON K. BROWN: I think it was at breakfast with Diane Paulus and Diedre Murray, when they were talking about re-imagining this piece. I was fascinated by how to get the story in the characters bodies in […]
Nikki Renee Daniels Talks About Singing “Summertime” in The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS
ANDY DRACHENBERG: What was your first reaction hearing about The Gershwins’ PORGY AND BESS revival? NIKKI RENEE DANIELS: I’ve been singing “Summertime” since I was about 14. It was one of the first songs I ever learned as a real singer. My friend from middle school came to the show and said “I can’t believe I am seeing […]