Porgy and Bess - 2012 Broadway Revival - Audra McDonald Interview

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• published: 24 Jan 2012
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The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess is back on Broadway, starring Audra McDonald, Norm Lewis and David Alan Grier! Here, Audra talks to Just Dance about the revival and her portrayal of Bess. Follow Us on Twitter -- http://www.twitter.com/JustDanceNews Director - Diane Paulus Choreographer - Ronald K. Brown Music - George Gershwin Lyrics - Ira Gershwin Book and additional Lyrics - DuBose Heyward Script Adaptation - Suzan-Lori Parks http://www.porgyandbessonbroadway.com/ Originally penned as a four-hour folk opera, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess arrives at the Richard Rodgers in a streamlined two-and-a-half-hour staging. At the helm of the production, now billed as a musical, is Tony Award-nominated director Diane Paulus (Hair). It officially opened on Jan. 12, 2012, for a limited run through June 24, 2012. Porgy and Bess has music by George Gershwin, lyrics by his brother Ira and a book and additional lyrics by DuBose Heyward. It is based on the play Porgy, by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward. The Gershwin and Heyward estates gave their blessing to Tony-nominated Hair director Paulus to bring fresh context to Porgy and Bess for contemporary audiences. This production first premiered at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) last summer, where Paulus is artistic director. The creative team also boasts Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog, Book of Grace), who is credited with adaptation and additional scenes, and Pulitzer Prize nominee Diedre Murray (Running Man), credited with musical adaptation. Norm Lewis (Sondheim on Sondheim, Side Show, Les Miserables) stars as the crippled beggar Porgy opposite four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Ragtime, Marie Christine, Master Class) as Bess. They are joined by two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier (The First, Race, Dreamgirls) as Sportin' Life and Tony nominee Joshua Henry (The Scottsboro Boys, American Idiot) as Jake. The cast also features Nikki Renee Daniels as Clara, Phillip Boykin as Crown, Bryonha Marie Parham as Serena, NaTasha Yvette Williams as Maria, Cedric Neal as Frazier, J.D. Webster as Mingo, Heather Hill as Lily, Phumzile Sojola as Peter and Nathaniel Stampley as Robbins. The ensemble includes Allison Blackwell, Roosevelt Andre Credit, Trevon Davis, Joseph Dellger, Wilkie Ferguson, Alicia Hall Moran, Andrea Jones-Sojola, Lisa Nicole Wilkerson, Christopher Innvar, Carmen Ruby Floyd, David Hughey and Julius Thomas III. The creative team includes choreographer Ronald K. Brown, set designer Riccardo Hernandez, costume designer Emilio Sosa and Tony Award-winning lighting designer Christopher Akerlind. Acme Sound Partners design sound. Orchestrations are by William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke, with music supervision by David Loud. The work includes such songs as "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," "I Loves You, Porgy," "My Man's Gone Now," "There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York," "Summertime," "I Got Plenty o' Nothin'" and "It Ain't Necessarily So." For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com. The Richard Rodgers Theatre is located at 226 West 46th Street.