Ladies & gentlemen, I have yet another surprise for you all. You know how I reviewed the video game The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask a couple weeks ago? Well, today, we are diving into something a little more different than normal once again. It is an Opera Live performance of a classic play that was written by an author by the name of George Gershwin. Presenting to you all a review of the one and only classic opera play, Porgy & Bess!
Plot: Set in the early 1920s, in a fictitious black tenement by the name of Catfish Row (which is based on Cabbage Row that is located on the waterfront of Charleston, South Carolina), a female named Bess meets an older gentlemen named Porgy, who she falls in love with. But Porgy is not the only one who has his eye on her in return. Two other men seek Bess’ hand: Bess’s ex-husband, and another man, who wishes to take Bess to New York City for his own selfish gain. With this being the case, will Bess’s new love for Porgy stand strong in the end?
Now, for those of you who are very familiar with the story of Porgy & Bess, you probably know how the story goes. However, for those of you who aren’t familiar with this old classic opera play, let me just say that this is a play that you should check out really soon, say at any other time that this play is likely to show in the near future. First off, the costume designs are really fantastic. Not only that, but this show really captures what life was like down in the south during the days of the 1920s. There’s also the brilliant choreography. I’m not sure how many hours that the performers put in to make sure that they got their dance moves right. However, from the looks of it, one can tell that the performers probably put in countless hours to make sure that they got their moves right. However, one of the more important things that Porgy & Bess portrays is how easy it is for us human beings to be sucked into all sorts of temptations in life. Honestly, that is another factor that really makes Porgy & Bess great is how it teaches us how we need to learn overcome any struggles that we may face in life. It’s also amazing how Porgy & Bess doesn’t cut out God, and Christian values overall. In fact, it’s also great to see how many of the people in this film chose to love God with all of their hearts, soul, and strength. This is something that a lot of people in America have seemed to forget in today’s day and age. Well, all the more reason to enjoy this show. Oh, and it’s cool how all the people succeed in singing, specifically singing opera. One final thing to mention is the ending of this show. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say that the ending is a cliffhanger. Now, I have to confess that when I was younger, I was not a fan of stories that had no sequels, that ended with a cliffhanger. In fact, I was a little ambivalent about novels such as The Giver having that type of ending. However, over the years, especially after seeing Porgy & Bess, I’m okay about it, mainly because of realizing that maybe the author wants to leave people guessing as to what happens after the story ends. I guess it’s not always a bad way to go, eh?
Well folks, that concludes my review for the Opera Live Performance of Porgy & Bess. It is a story that does well with incorporating Godly values, timely messages, and also does well with portraying the difficulties of life during the 1920s. Definitely see Porgy & Bess if you haven’t. It is so understandable as to why it remains timeless even a century after this story takes place.
Final Grade: A+
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