Porgy and Bess

• P
  Carnegie Hall Concert (1935)
  New York, NY
• P
  Original Broadway Production (1935)
  New York, NY
• P
  Broadway Revival (1942)
  New York, NY
• P
  Broadway Return Engagement (1943)
  New York, NY
• P
  Broadway Return Engagement (1944)
  New York, NY
• P
  International Tour (1952)
  unknown location
• International Tour (West End Engagement) (1952)
  London, England
• P
  International Tour (Broadway Engagement) (1953)
  New York, NY
• P
  Film Version (1959)
  unknown location
• P
  City Center Revival (1961)
  New York, NY
• P
  New York City Opera Revival (1962)
  New York, NY
• P
  City Center Revival (1964)
  New York, NY
• P
  New York City Opera Revival (1965)
  New York, NY
• P
  Broadway Revival (1976)
  New York, NY
• P
  New York Revival (1983)
  New York, NY
• P
  Metropolitan Opera Production (1985)
  New York, NY
• P
  Metropolitan Opera Production (1985)
  New York, NY
• P
  Metropolitan Opera Production (1989)
  New York, NY
• P
  Television Production (1993)
  unknown location
• P
  New York City Opera Revival (2000)
  New York, NY
• P
  New York City Opera Revival (2002)
  New York, NY
• P
  London Revival (2006)
  London, England
• Broadway Revival (2012)
  New York, NY
• T
  National Tour (2013)
  unknown location

---

There are a total of 42 productions in Ovrtur's database.

See full list

Click on the title for info on the song.

• Original score

  • Summer Time
    • a.k.a. Summertime
  • A Woman is a Sometime Thing
  • They Pass by Singing
  • Gone, Gone, Gone!
    • a.k.a. Gone, Gone, Gone
    • a.k.a. Where is brudder Robbins?...
  • Overflow
    • a.k.a. Come on, sister, come on, brudder...
  • My Man's Gone Now
  • Leavin' fo' de Promis' Lan'
    • a.k.a. Headin' for the Promis' Lan'
    • a.k.a. Leavin' for the Promise' Lan'
    • a.k.a. Oh, the train is at the station...
  • It Takes a Long Pull to Get There
    • a.k.a. It Take a Long Pull to Get There
  • I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'
  • Woman to Lady
    • a.k.a. Mornin', Lawyer...
  • Bess, You is My Woman Now
    • a.k.a. Bess, You Is My Woman
  • Oh, I Can't Sit Down
  • It Ain't Necessarily So
  • What You Want With Bess?
    • a.k.a. What You Want wid Bess
    • a.k.a. What You Want Wid Bess?
  • Time and Time Again
    • a.k.a. Oh, Doctor Jesus
  • Strawberry Woman
  • Crab Man
  • I Loves You, Porgy
    • a.k.a. I Loves You Porgy
  • Oh, de Lawd Shake de Heaven
    • a.k.a. Oh, de Lawd Shake de Heavens
  • A Red Headed Woman
  • Oh, Doctor Jesus
    • a.k.a. The Six Prayers
  • Clara, Don't You Be Downhearted
    • a.k.a. Clara, Clara
  • There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York
    • a.k.a. There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York
  • Where's My Bess?
    • a.k.a. Oh, Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?
  • I'm On My Way
    • a.k.a. Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

• ---

• Cut prior to opening

  • Dance (i)
  • Jasbo Brown
    • a.k.a. Jazzbo Brown
  • Roll Them Bones
  • If you hadn't been drinkin' you wouldn't talk to me
  • He got better sense than to listen to that nonsense
  • He sure loves his liquor...
  • That gal ain't need to worry 'bout no man marryin'
  • I shoots like that...
  • Frien' an' dice an' happy dust ain' meant to 'socia
  • Nobody's gettin' away wid Crown's money...
  • That's easy, I thought as much...
  • Listen there, what I tells you...
  • I hates yo' struttin' style...
    • a.k.a. I Hate Your Struttin' Style
  • Good mornin' Mister Archdale...
  • Look out, dat's a buzzard!
  • Buzzard Song
  • Occupational Humoresque
  • I Ain't Got No Shame
  • Dance (ii)
  • Shame on all you sinners...
  • I can't stay, Crown, or de boat'll go without me...
  • Take yo' hands off me, I say...
  • Honey Man
  • You ain't got nuttin' to be afraid of...
  • Hurricane bell! Lawd chile, dere ain't goin' be no
  • Oh, Hev'nly Father
    • a.k.a. Oh, Doctor Jesus
    • a.k.a. The Six Prayers
  • Oh, de sun goin' rise in de wes'...
  • Hear dat? Gawd's laughin' at you!...
  • Dem dat is in such a hurry to meet de judgement...
  • Yes boss, we swear to that...
  • Was Crown killed here, yes or no?...
  • I got to an' look, look at Crown's face...
  • Here, boy, look what I brought for you...
  • Why, hello, if dere ain't Serena...
  • Bess is gone. An' Serena take dis chile...
  • You better stay wid yo' frien', Porgy...

• ---

• Listed as a separate number in some productions and on some recordings

  • Here Come de Honey Man
  • Oh Little Stars
  • Oh, Dere's Somebody Knockin' at de Do'
  • Good Mornin', Sistuh!

• ---

Recordings listed here were done in the studio specifically to release as recordings. They do not represent cast recordings of a particular production.

• No demos listed.

Based on the play Porgy by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and the novel Porgy by DuBose Heyward.

Bess, a woman with a disreputable history, tries to break free from her brutish lover Crown after he becomes wanted for murder. The only person willing to overlook her past and offer her shelter is the crippled Porgy. Their relationship is threatened by the disapproval of the townspeople, the presence of her old drug supplier Sportin' Life, and the threatened return of Crown.

Director Spike Lee has been talking to the Gershswin Estate about doing a movie version since the early 2000s. An article about the proposed movie was published on indiewire.com in August 2012.

See more

• The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (revival title)