Porgy
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- This article is about the novel and play. For the fish, see Sparidae
Porgy is a novel written by DuBose Heyward in 1925, as well as a play Dorothy Heyward helped him to write which debuted in 1927.
Even before the play had been fully written, Heyward was in discussions with George Gershwin for an operatic version of his novel, which debuted in 1935 as Porgy and Bess (renamed to distinguish it from the play).
Contents |
[edit] Novel
The novel tells the story of Porgy, a crippled street-beggar in the black tenements of Charleston, South Carolina in the 1920s. The novel was based on the Charlestonian Samuel Smalls. The novel features characters speaking in Gullah, the creole language of the area.
[edit] Play
DuBose Heyward's wife, Dorothy Heyward, began working on a staged adaptation of her husband's novel soon after it was published in 1925.
Porgy debuted on Broadway at the Guild Theatre (today's Virginia Theatre) on October 10, 1927 and ran for 367 performances. It was directed by Rouben Mamoulian.
A 1929 revival was less successful, opening on September 13, 1929 and closing one month later after only 34 performances at the Martin Beck Theatre (today's Al Hirschfeld Theatre).
[edit] External links
[edit] Novel
- Full text of Porgy plus criticism and commentary by Kendra Hamilton, hosted by the University of Virginia
[edit] Play
- Credits for original 1927 Broadway play from IBDB.com
- Credits for the 1929 Broadway revival from IBDB.com
The World of Porgy and Bess | |
|---|---|
| Adaptations | Book and play - Opera - Film adaptation |
| Creators | George Gershwin - Ira Gershwin - DuBose Heyward - Dorothy Heyward |
| Songs and adaptations | "Summertime" - "Catfish Row" |
| Media | Discography |
