We want you to connect personally and meaningfully to the art on our stage. Patrons who explore our free programs and resources find themselves more engaged with the performance. Dive deeper into The Gershwins®' Porgy and Bess with these opportunities to enhance your experience. 🎭
Songs like “Summertime” have helped Porgy and Bess connect with audiences for over ninety years. But the opera has also sparked debate. Join Lyric Opera and Kansas City Public Library for a conversation about who creates art, how people are represented, and the impact it leaves behind, along with a live performance. ✨
The discussion features three experts: the production's conductor Michael Ellis Ingram, University of Houston professor and George Gershwin biographer Howard Pollack, and The University of Kansas professor emeritus and musical theater scholar Paul Laird.
📅 February 17 at 6:00 pm, Kansas City Public Library, Plaza Branch
Did you know?🤔 Porgy and Bess was inspired by DuBose Heyward’s 1925 novel, Porgy. Heyward and his wife, Dorothy, adapted the book into a play in 1927, setting the stage for the opera's debut in 1935.
Join us for a talk exploring this evolution! Dr. Paul Laird, professor emeritus of musicology at The University of Kansas and noted American musical theater scholar, will lead an introductory exploration of the opera’s creation, its vibrant score, and its enduring legacy in American music. 🎵
📅 February 23 at 6:00 pm, Kirk Family YMCA
Meet the talented artists of Porgy and Bess! Learn more about their careers, their unique experiences bringing this iconic opera to life, and the stories behind their performances. 🌟
Dedicated Lyric Opera patron and ambassador Dr. Roger Williams moderates this conversation with stars Michelle Bradley and Eric Greene, alongside conductor Michael Ellis Ingram. This engaging program includes a Q&A session with the artists. 🙋♂️ Whether you see the opera before or after this event, it is sure to deepen your connection to the art onstage.
📅 March 2 at 6:00 pm, Black Archives of Mid-America
Learn the basics of this iconic American opera! Read about the history, cast, characters, and creators of Porgy and Bess with this free PDF resource! Only two pages long, this fact sheet is perfect for opera enthusiasts and newbies alike, covering all you need to know in preparation for the performance. ✅
Arrive early and get the inside scoop! Join beloved Kansas City artist Nedra Dixon fifty minutes before your performance for a pre-show talk exploring the who, what, where, when, and why of Porgy and Bess. 🧐 Sit wherever you like for the talk, then head to the lobby to soak in the views (and perhaps enjoy a beverage) before the show starts.
Enhance your visit at the Community Corner! Located in the lobby, this is the perfect spot to meet our Community Advisory Council. Stop by before the show or during intermission to share your reflections on the opera and join in a quick, insightful activity. 💡
Extend your experience and join Lyric Opera in March and April for free community performances of Langston Hughes: A Lyrical Life, a semi-staged musical and literary experience honoring Hughes’s extraordinary legacy and amplifying his singular voice and texts. 🌟
Born in 1901 in Joplin, Missouri, Hughes was an early innovator of jazz poetry and a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Brought to life through music and narration, Hughes's poetry illuminates universal human experiences of joy, struggle, and aspiration. Lyric Opera's Resident Artists will present this new program in community spaces throughout the Kansas City metro area. 📍
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Season Sponsors
With public support from the State of Missouri and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
The Gershwins®' Porgy and Bess is supported, in part, by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund and the Mark Edelman Theater Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City. Langston Hughes: A Lyrical Life is presented in partnership with the Missouri Humanities with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund. Additional support is provided, in part, by the Dr. Mary E. Brothers Resident Artist Performance Fund.
