from The Seattle Times:
After previously presenting two Houston Grand Opera touring versions of the show, Seattle Opera has at last mounted its own production of “Porgy and Bess.”
And the musical and dramatic richness of Chris Alexander’s new staging of this intrinsically American masterwork is a satisfying reward for the long wait.
Stirring principals, a superior chorus of local singers and strong orchestral backup led by renowned “Porgy and Bess” conductor John DeMain provide a splendid introduction to the classic.
And for longtime fans of “Porgy and Bess,” Seattle Opera finds new hues and nuances in the beloved opera without distorting it.
One is captivated from the first strains of the blues-lullabye “Summertime” (sung by the fine soprano Angel Blue, as Clara), to the emotion-charged finale when the hobbling beggar Porgy (the great Gordon Hawkins) sets off on a quixotic journey to find his departed lover, Bess (the compelling soprano Lisa Daltirus, in excellent voice).
“Porgy and Bess” shines here not just in the gleaming vocal and orchestral treatment of George and Ira Gershwin’s magnificent score, but also in an understanding that this is a portrait of a community.
from The Seattle Times: