Porgy and Bess

L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O

The Gershwins ® ’ PORGY AND BESS ®

• Production originally created for Washington National Opera.

• The worldwide copyrights in the music of George and Ira Gershwin® for this presentation are licensed by the Gershwin Family. arrangement with Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc., 560 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY, 10022. • GERSHWIN is a registered trademark and service mark of Gershwin Enterprises. • Porgy and Bess is a trademark and service mark of Porgy and Bess Enterprises. • Lyric Opera of Chicago broadcasts are generously sponsored by The Hurvis Family Foundation, with matching funding provided by The Matthew and Kay Bucksbaum Family, The John and Jackie Bucksbaum Family, and Richard P. and Susan Kiphart. • Lyric Opera gratefully acknowledges the support of the Robert and Ellen Marks American Opera Endowed Chair. • Lyric Opera of Chicago wishes to thank its Official Airline, American Airlines. • This season’s projected English titles are funded in part by a generous grant from the Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation. • Porgy and Bess is presented by

By George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin

Opera in three acts in English

First performed at the Colonial Theatre, Boston, on September 30, 1935 First performed by Lyric Opera on November 18, 2008 Characters in order of vocal appearance: Clara HLENGIWE MKHWANAZI °* Mingo CHASE TAYLOR * Sportin’ Life JERMAINE SMITH Jake NORMAN GARRETT * Serena KAREN SLACK * Robbins BERNARD HOLCOMB °° Jim EARL HAZELL Peter CURTIS BANNISTER * Lily VERONICA CHAPMAN-SMITH Maria GWENDOLYN BROWN °° Porgy ERIC OWENS Crown ERIC GREENE Bess ADINA AARON * Detective JOHN LISTER Policeman BRIAN McCASKILL Undertaker KENNETH NICHOLS Lawyer Frazier WILL LIVERMAN ° Annie LEAH DEXTER * Nelson ANTHONY P. McGLAUN * Strawberry Woman SAMANTHA McELHANEY * Crab Man JERMAINE BROWN, JR. * Coroner DEV KENNEDY Conductor WARD STARE Director FRANCESCA ZAMBELLO Set Designer PETER J. DAVISON Costume Designer PAUL TAZEWELL Lighting Designer MARK MCCULLOUGH Chorus Master MICHAEL BLACK Choreographer and Associate Director DENNI SAYERS Ballet Mistress AUGUST TYE Wigmaster and Makeup Designer SARAH HATTEN Assistant Director GARNETT BRUCE Stage Manager DANIEL SOKALSKI Musical Preparation

GRANT LOEHNIG PHILIP MOREHEAD MATTHEW PIATT

• No one will be seated while the performance is in progress.

Fight Director

CHUCK COYL CORI ELLISON

Projected English Titles

• The performance will last approximately three hours.

N O V E M B E R 1 7 - D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 4 | 27 *Lyric Opera debut °Current member, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center °°Alumna/Alumnus, Ryan Opera Center