Porgy and Bess

This place sounds great. Located in the heart of the theater disturb of Pittsburgh. Awesome pork belly. But am surprised it is not busier. My guess. Service

I have been putting this review off for a while because I was uncertain how to put pen to paper, but I can’t procrastinate any longer. I am going to treat this review much like a work related evaluation and utilize the «compliment sandwich». So here it goes.
A great shout out to Rachel C, our CM for organizing the event and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for supplying our tickets to the show. It was great finally being able to meet Rachel and the generosity of the PCT was phenomenal. I will never turn down an opportunity to view any event at the beautiful historic Benedum Center. Again many thanks!
Now as far as the «musical» goes I will point out as others have, this was originally written as an opera. I am not a fan of operatic singing and though I liked several of the songs the switching back and forth from operatic signing to more main stream musical was not pleasing to my ears. I barely could understand the words when they were belted out in this format. The storyline was ok, however it had several racist undertones depicting African American’s during this time period as fighting, gambling, drinking, drug abusing criminals. The story was also at times hard to follow, possibly because of the manner of the singing which left me disinterested at some times. I have seen several musicals at the Benedum and this was the most disappointing.
Furthermore, for the last piece of bread on my sandwich, I really think the actors did a great job. I may not be a huge fan of this work, but I think the cast was top notch, and acting and dancing were entertaining. And as always any event at the Benedum is worth going to as 9 times out of 10 the experience is splendid.

I was very excited to have the opportunity to attend this show! I’ve seen tons of musicals, but Porgy and Bess was not one of them. I was familiar with many of the songs (for example, Summer Time, It Ain’t Necessarily So) but was not that familiar with the plot. I did know it was more operatic then most Broadway shows that are shown at the Benedum, but it is always excited to experience something new.
After grabbing my sippy cup of wine, we took our seats. The seats were great! We were left of center towards the back of the Orchestra. This further confirms to me that there really aren’t many bad seats at the Benedum.
For some reason, there was a delay in starting the show. I usher at the Benedum, so I know it had something to do with the production company and not the theater. Knowing the show was about two and a half hours long, I was itching for it to start on time. However, once the 25 piece orchestra played the opening chords of the overture, I knew we would be in for a treat. Most modern musicals have ditched the overture and entr’acte, so it was enjoyable to hear both as a part of this production.
Once the curtain rose, we were greeted with a minimalist set and a slightly inclined stage. It made me think of how many opera houses «back in the day» had an inclined stage because they did not have inclined seating. Although the set was minimal, it was impactful. This was achieved through creative staging and choreography. Even the fights (which can end up being quite cheesy in stage shows) were done tastefully and made as believable as possible.
The numbers in this show drew you in either through catchy tunes or for the emotional attachment. I found myself wanting to dance along with the picnickers in «Oh, I Can’t Sit Down» and feeling the raw emotion of the characters in «My Man’s Gone Now» and «I Loves You Porgy.» Some of my favorites were «It Ain’t Necessarily So» «Leaving for the Promised Land» and «Oh Doctor Jesus.» However, they were all enjoyable and well executed. Sometimes when things are done in an operatic style it can be difficult to understand a performer, especially when using a specific dialect. That was not the case in this production. Everything was sung and spoken clearly which made it easier for the audience to follow along with the plot.
The show had a great mix of solos and ensemble numbers, humor and sadness and it flowed very well from one song to the other. Overall, a very enjoyable experience and a great night out! I highly recommend seeing this show during its run in Pittsburgh.

Great voices (especially Porgy), fun dance numbers, and evil evil villains, all in one of the countries most beautiful theaters. Good times!

I am not sure the target audience for this musical but opening night seemed filled with mostly an older crowd. It started about 15 minutes late but I’m sure there were good reasons as it was opening night. The actors/​actresses did a fantastic job and were truly talented-​they really got into character. I did have a tough time understanding some of the females when they were signing. It was interesting to have an opera like musical. The plot moved quickly and kept my attention.

My fiancé and I were both pretty happy to attend this show last night. Having attending many musicals and operas throughout the years I was interested in seeing one that I had not before and especially one that was considered a folk opera. Being given free tickets in Row U of right center was nice as you were close enough to the stage that you were happy and yet far enough away that you were not right on top of the performance.
Unfortunately the musical started out as a bit of a downer as the performance started at 7:45 instead of the 7:30 noted on the tickets. For a little while I was wondering what was going on as almost everything I have ever attended at the Benedum has started on time. Once the musical started though it was all good as I really enjoyed the first half of the performance. I am not sure that I have seen a performance like this before with the combination of music seeming to be random, yet good with switches from parts in opera to other parts with a jazz or blues feel. The only problem that I had during the first half was that I was having a hard time hearing the female opera singers voice. The second half of the show was quite a different story for me than the first half. I felt that the energy dipped and that combined with me getting tired and the Benedum temperature rising left me wishing that performance would end quicker than it did. That wasn’t indicative of the performers though as they did a wonderful job throughout the night and I really enjoyed most of the singing and dancing. It was more due to the story and music at that part of the story.
The bottom line for me is that I would encourage others to see this show in the future. It may not be the first show that I would recommend but I felt that it was good and is something different than most of the shows you get today,

First rate voices in a great production of Porgy and Bess. Unlike other Unilocalers, I am more of an opera fan, so I would have preferred to hear the singer’s voices without amplification. Putting that aside, this was an amazing opportunity to hear Gerswin’s masterpiece. There were memorable songs sung by a a very talented cast. The plot was gripping, and the staging was excellent.

The opportunity to see Porgy and Bess was the perfect way to celebrate Black History Month. I had always heard the musical referenced in pop culture and knew some of the songs but I never actually watched the play before.
I skimmed the play’s website a little beforehand but decided to surprise myself by not delving deeper into learning the plot. I didn’t really know what to expect and that was good.
I brought a date and we hunkered down with our sippy cups per Rachel’s suggestion. And my date grabbed napkins which I thought was strange until later on here’s why.
I cried for about 50−60% of the show. I figured I would get a little misty but the streaming tears just kept on coming.
1. The actors had beautiful voices. I didn’t know it was going to be operatic.
2. The plot transported me back in time and I was really feeling down for my people. The struggle the grit, it was really emotional. I felt like I was in the book «Their eyes were watching God» but with songs.
3. Porgy’s status as a cripple in society.
4. Bess’ inability to do right.
5. Hard choices.
The musical was respectfully done, which is amazing considering the point in history when it was penned.
The play spoke to me in a beautiful way. I was glad to see a well attended and diverse turn out.

Perhaps I just shouldn’t have gone. Perhaps I’m not an opera/​musical fan at all. But, I remember studying Porgy & Bess back in the day, and, quite frankly, «Summertime» is one of my favorite classic songs of all time. So, needless to say, I was excited to go on a free ticket! Many thanks to Unilocal and Rachel for organizing this.
The actors seemed to know what they were doing. Some of the vocalists were amazing.
The story and composition, however, bored me so much that I couldn’t make it past intermission. I wasn’t captivated. I wasn’t engaged. Outside of a few songs, the vocals hardly followed any sort of melody. The music was all over the map. This wasn’t the fault of the performers — but of the composer. I’m no expert, I probably am not one to judge Gershwin, but at the end of the day I wasn’t entertained and was outright not enjoying the show.
Sprinkle the performance with some 30’s racism and sexism, you have yourself a wonderfully uncomfortable show to watch. Historic? Yes. Educational? A bit. Enjoyable and entertaining? Hardly. I felt the same way I did when reading The Jungle. It was very important and relevant at the time and got a very important message across to the public that needed to be said. However, experiencing it now, outside of pop context of its time, isn’t so enjoyable when watching it as a stand-​alone piece.
Leaving before the second act, I felt like a brute for giving up early, but I know my taste and value my time too much to force myself through something just because I feel like I should.
Regarding the venue — the Benedum was absolutely beautiful and classic. Grandiose and impressive! The staff was courteous and professional, and attended to everybody very well.
However, I wasn’t happy with the sound amplification, though, as one of the speakers sounded like it was clipping or slightly blown — particularly when the symphony’s horns hit certain notes. It ended up sounding like they were playing a recording rather than a live performance. Not exactly what I came to see.
So, in short, I’m afraid I’d be the last one to recommend this musical to a friend.

I have to start off by saying that the only reason this is getting two stars is because of the kindness of the Unilocal Squad putting it together, and the Benedum, which is the venue, and not the producer, being such gracious hosts. The Benedum is a lovely venue, with a great staff of senior helpers, who deserve pats on their backs for herding people in and out pretty efficiently.
That being said… I was kind of shocked that this was a Broadway tour, and not some local production. Porgy and Bess was flat, unbalanced, un-​ennunciated, poorly directed, and quite frankly, when it takes hearing one-​quarter of a classic Gershwin song to recognize it, there is something seriously wrong.
Nathanial Stampley, who gave life to Porgy, was spectacular. Deep rich voice, superb presence, theatrical without being over the top, and knew how to communicate properly with both his book materials AND the audience. I could hear him clearly, every word. The rest of the cast, not so much, and in some cases, not at all.
Kingsley Leggs came in second as Sporting Life, as being audible, understandable, and keeping a Gershwin song (or two) intact and recognizable, giving his character the right level of ‘theatrical’ without being over the top, or so understated that we couldn’t hear him.
The rest of the cast (and I blame this on the direction) was a mixed bag of over-​the-​top broad theater, and TV drama. The over the toppers stood out like sore thumbs, whereas the TV dramatists made me go ‘Huh? What’d she say?’ The result was a total imbalance of acting styles that simply do not mix well.
The direction also lacked peaks and valleys. When there was a fight, there was no proper build to it. It just kind of ‘happened’. There is such a thing as ‘pace’ for a theatrical production, and the only ‘pace’ this production has is ‘keep on walking until the curtain comes down’.
I have no idea at what point in their ‘tour’ this production might be, but it seems very lackadaisical and sloppy. The choreography was uneven as well. A couple of the dancers were crisp and sharp, while the majority just seemed to be going through the motions. They almost seemed like bored union workers just doing ‘enough’ work to ‘get by’ until they collected their paycheck.
Then there is Bess. An almost mannish speaking voice, yet a operatic tone in her singing so shrill, she flat out cannot be understood. Many of the women suffered from this malady. ‘My Man’s Gone Now’ is the song that it truly took me a quarter of the song to realize that this is what she was singing.
Even the orchestra somehow didn’t make Gershwin SOUND like Gershwin, and there was almost a muffled quality to the sound overall.
The only true saving grace for this production is Porgy, who is giving the performance 100% of exactly what it requires.
And yet, our Pittsburgh audience did what they ALWAYS do, regardless of whether they’ve just seen Burton come back from the dead, or a street bum fart in a paper bag to the tune of ‘Swanee’…they leapt to their feet for a standing ovation. The friend that came with me just looked at me rolling her eyes and said ‘Have these people ever been to actual theater before?‘
Let me give you all some advice on the ‘standing ovation’. It is NOT a requirement at every performance. The purpose of a standing ovation is for when the ENTIRE production is beyond comparison spectacular, from leads to chorus, and you were truly blown away and moved by what you just saw. OR, you are seeing someone like Meryl Streep live, who deserves such astounding respect, AND the performance of her that you just witnessed was awe-​inspiring. If Andrew Stockey walks across a stage and says ‘Good evening’, he does NOT warrant a standing ovation. Part of our Pittsburgh problem is giving over-​rated praise to those who just do not deserve it. Save it for someone who DOES, and then the others will work HARDER to earn it!
Thank you Unilocal for the free tickets. Had I been required to actually pay for this, I would have been truly miffed.

Thank you so much Rachel and Unilocal for setting this up!
I attended with my husband and we had a great time. I agree with many of the other reviews that the delay in start time was a bit annoying.
I thought that the performers did a wonderful job and I really enjoyed the music as well as the dancing. I thought that all of the songs were sung beautifully, though at times I did find it hard to understand what Bess was singing when her voice was fully operatic.
Overall I was happy with the evening and felt that it was well done and that the show is definitely worth seeing!

I had a great time seeing Porgy and Bess for the first time tonight! Thank you to Rachel for coordinating the event and to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for providing us with free tickets.
I went into the theater with zero knowledge of the plot, which actually made the musical a lot of fun to watch. Though embarrassing to admit, I had no idea it was an opera and was taken aback when the performers began to sing!
Both the acting and singing were very strong. I particularly enjoyed the performances of Porgy (Nathaniel Stampley) and Mariah (Danielle Lee Greaves). I thought that Porgy was a very believable character and that Nathaniel Stampley had the most pleasing voice in the show. I absolutely loved the powerful performance of Mariah, particularly when singing «I Hates Your Strutting Style.» The character seems to demand a big personality, and Danielle Lee Greaves delivers.
I enjoyed the show and would recommend it to friends. I was particularly pleased that the center (well, at least the orchestra level, where I was sitting) was packed.