::Third Stop: Porgy and Bess::
Operas can be about regular people, like you and me. One of the greatest American operas, Porgy and Bess, is about a poor African-American man who’s head over heels in love with a fickle woman.
And opera can be for regular people. Listen to what poet Maya Angelou has to say about touring Europe while she was in Porgy and Bess. (The sound file is halfway down the page.) Ms. Angelou, author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, played the part of Ruby in George Gershwin�s masterpiece.
Something to Think About
Porgy and Bess was nearly a musical comedy. Listen to baritone Bryn Terfel sing “I Got Plenty o'’ Nuttin’,” Porgy’s joyous declaration that Bess is all he needs. You'll be glad it’s an opera, instead.
