"Porgy and Bess" returns to the Houston stage that made it legendary
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Michael Sumuel as Porgy and Angel Blue as Bess. Photo: Michael Bishop, courtesy of HGO
"Porgy and Bess" — an opera that spotlights Black voices and helped define the Houston Grand Opera's legacy — returns to the opera house after 30 years.
Why it matters: HGO's 1976 production — among the first major American opera shows with an all-Black cast — is credited with being a turning point for the then-regional company, reshaping its place in the opera landscape.
State of play: "Porgy and Bess" tells the story of a relationship between a disabled beggar and a woman entangled with a violent former lover in the Black community of the fictional area of Catfish Row in the Jim Crow South. The show blends jazz, gospel and folk.
Flashback: When HGO first staged "Porgy and Bess" 50 years ago, it returned the opera to its roots and aimed to entrust the story to the Black community and Black artists. The production toured internationally, from Houston to Europe, garnering acclaim and redefining what American opera could be.
- HGO put on the show again in the 1986 and 1994 seasons.
💠Shafaq's thought bubble: This is an opera about community and care. Sure, it's about romance and hope too — hence the title of the opera — but the opera really shines when the people of Catfish Row come together, unite and live their daily lives.
Fun fact: Donnie Ray Albert, who played Porgy in HGO's original 1976 production, is back, this time in the smaller role of a lawyer. When Albert played Porgy — well over 450 times across the world, he recalls — he did it on his knees. (These days, Porgy gets around on crutches.)
- "It brings back memories of that '76 production. It just thrills me to be back," Albert tells Axios. "'Porgy and Bess' is part of Houston's history — and it did a lot for this city and this company."
Between the lines: HGO continues to push for innovation and diversity onstage — from this chorus casting to new commissioned works like "Intelligence," an original opera about Civil War-era espionage.
If you go: "Porgy and Bess" is on view through Nov. 15. Tickets start at $25.