Photo Flash: First Look at Lyric Opera of Chicago's PORGY AND BESS

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess,conducted by Ward Stare in a revival of the acclaimed production from renowned director Francesca Zambello. The production opened last night, Monday, November 17 with 13 performances through Saturday, December 20. Performance dates are Nov. 17, 19, Dec. 2, 5, 8, 13, 16, and 20 at 7:30pm; and Nov. 23, 26, 28, Dec. 11 and 18 at 2pm.

Hailed by innumerable critics as the greatest American opera, George Gershwin's masterpiece of 1935 has lyrics by Ira Gershwin (the composer's brother) and Dorothy Heyward, and a libretto by Mrs. Heyward's husband, DuBose Heyward. The opera is based on the 1927 Broadway play Porgy by Mr. and Mrs. Heyward and Mr. Heyward's own novel of the same name, written in 1924.

Onstage in the opera Porgy and Bess, an entire community comes to life: the fictitious tenement called Catfish Row on the shore of Charleston, South Carolina. It is there that the lame Porgy (bass-baritone Eric Owens) meets and falls in love with the sultry Bess (soprano Adina Aaron, Lyric debut), girlfriend of the hulking Crown (baritone Eric Greene). Bess leaves Crown to live with Porgy but is susceptible to the drugs ("happy dust") offered her by the devious Sportin' Life (tenor Jermaine Smith). The cast also includes soprano Karen Slack (Lyric debut)as the devout Serena, soprano Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi (Lyric debut) as the endearing young mother Clara, contralto Gwendolyn Brown as the earthy Maria, and baritone Norman Garrett (Lyric debut) as Clara's warmhearted husband Jake.

Porgy and Bess is conducted by Ward Stare and directed by Francesca Zambello. Peter J. Davison is set designer, Paul Tazewell is costume designer,Mark McCullough is lighting designer, Michael Black is chorus master, andDenni Sayers is choreographer and associate director.

Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi is a current member and Gwendolyn Brown is an alumna of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Lyric's premier artist-development program that is currently celebrating its 40th season.

In addition to his onstage role as Porgy, Eric Owens is also a Lyric Unlimited Community Ambassador, which allows him to share his experiences as a performer to help break down barriers to participation in opera. Owens regularly participates in speaking engagements, panel discussions, master classes, and more at schools and community venues around Chicago. Launched in 2012, Lyric Unlimited is a long-term, evolving initiative that encompasses company activities that are not part of Lyric's mainstage season. Its mission is to provide a relevant cultural service to communities throughout the Chicago area and to advance the development of opera by exploring how it can resonate more powerfully with people of multiple backgrounds, ethnicities, and interests.

Photos by Todd Rosenberg

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