Princeton Festival Full of Promise

Having grown up listening to a recording of Leontine Price and William Warfield singing Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, I had the June 5 Princeton Festival's preview of their upcoming production circled on my calendar. The program announcement on the Princeton Public Library's website sounded straightforward enough: 

"Principal singers present scenes from the opera that is the centerpiece of The Princeton Festival’s tenth season. Artistic director Richard Tang Yuk and stage director Steven LaCosse will discuss the production and answer questions from the audience." 

The description by the directors of all that goes in to this ambitious production was breathtaking. Over the past year and a half, they traveled across the country auditioning singers, dealt with countless details of acquiring the performance rights from the Gershwin family, casting, rehearsal scheduling, on and on. More than half of the cost of the festival is paid by the Festival's generous donors. 

Then came some stunning renditions by members of the cast. A rendition of "My Man's Gone Now" left many of us in tears.

Then came a beautifully rendered, deeply moving duet on "Bess, You Is My Woman Now."

This promises to be an extraordinary show. A full listing of Princeton Festival concerts can be found at this link. Performances run through June 29.