Written by George and Ira Gershwin in 1934 and based on DuBose Heyward’s novel Porgy, Porgy and Bess features an entirely African American cast. The libretto chronicles the heroic attempts of Porgy, a disabled black beggar living in the Charleston slums, to rescue Bess from both her abusive lover and a violent drug dealer. For a full synopsis, please see: http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/opera-synopses-l-thru-z/qt/Porgy-And-Bess-Synopsis.htm

Initially unpopular in opera circles at the time because of its daring use of a colored cast and brutal subject matter, it was not until 1976 when Houston Grand Opera re-staged the production that it gained new popularity.  It is important to include in Popular American Opera because of it is the most performed American opera today, it is one of the first folk inspired American operas, and is a commentary on the difficulties of African-American life in the early 20th century.  The aria “Summertime” has found it’s way into pop-culture through the years, and has been recorded by various female artists from the jazzy Ella Fitzgerald, the rockin’ Janis Joplin, to the operatic Maria Callas.