'Porgy and Bess' celebrates its 75th anniversary with this new tour

“Porgy and Bess” is considered to be one of the first American operas.

“It truly is an opera,” said Patrick Blackwell, who is playing Porgy, a disabled man who moves around Charleston, S.C.’s fictitious Catfish Row on a cart. He cites “Treemonisha,” by Scott Joplin as another American opera, written in 1911. “Porgy and Bess” was written in 1935 by George Gershwin, with libretto by DuBose Heyward and lyrics by Ira Gershwin, based on the book, “Porgy,” by Heyward, and the play, “Porgy,” by Heyward and his wife, Dorothy.

It was first performed in 1935 in New York City. Not very well-received, it languished, being performed here and there. It wasn’t until 1976 that the Houston Grand Opera’s production made people sit up and pay attention. That’s when it was first considered to be one of the great American operas.

Blackwell was in Fort Worth, performing in “Porgy and Bess.” He has a soft spot for that city because he made his professional debut at the Fort Worth Opera in 1992. He got reacquainted with several members of the Fort Worth Opera Guild while he was there.

A native of Washington, D.C., he trained at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.

“It was quite an honor,” he said, attending on a full scholarship. “After graduation, I was accepted into several young artists’ programs, including the Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera and the San Francisco Opera.”

Growing up, there was plenty of music played in his house. His mother played piano and sang in their church choir. Both parents collected music — from opera to country music.

“Porgy and Bess” is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with this tour.

Physically demanding

He calls “Porgy and Bess” a tragic opera, where Porgy, who is physically disabled, falls in love with a beautiful woman.

“She’s the poster girl for ‘old habits die hard.’ Bess is who she is.”

Bess is a drug addict whose lover is cruel and abusive. Porgy tries to get her to quit using, and to get away from Crown, her lover, and Sportin’ Life, her drug dealer. It all ends badly, Blackwell said.

He spends much of the play on the cart, on his knees. Besides being vocally demanding, the role of Porgy is physically demanding as well. He laughs when he said he’s wearing good, solid knee pads and the cart itself is well padded.

“I am really enjoying myself tremendously,” Blackwell said. He’ll be with the tour through early April, then he is performing in Pergolesi’s “La Serva Padrona” at the New Jersey State Opera. After that, he’ll be in its production of “Porgy and Bess.”

This tour has had some cuts, but Blackwell said it has kept the essence of the original work.

“The opera without the cuts is nearly four hours long,” he said. And he doesn’t think many people would sit for a four-hour opera.

Charles Randolph-Wright directed the tour and Blackwell said it was “a thrill and a delight to work with him.”

Blackwell is a big Verdi fan and one of his favorite operas is “Il Trovatore.” He performed the role of Ferrando in the opera at the Union Avenue Theater in St. Louis. And later this year, he’ll sing the role of Sgt. Sulpice in “The Daughter of the Regiment” by Donizetti.

He admits that opera companies around the country are struggling, a lot of that due to the economy. Some opera companies have folded.

“But the ones that are still open are still doing well,” Blackwell said.