Item #18168 Souvenir Program from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. George Gershwin.
Souvenir Program from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess

Souvenir Program from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess

Pamphlet

Gershwin’s classic Porgy and Bess Souvenir program. Artcraft Litho and PFTG CO: New York. 1942 Attractive front cover illustration shows Bess holding Porgy as he lays on the ground, a crowd of people with their hands raised in praise or supplication. 15 pages. The play featured a cast of classically trained African-American singers, a risk on Broadway where it was initially unpopular. Porgy and Bess played the Majestic Theatre in New York City. (The production opened January 22nd, 1942 and ran for 286 performances before going on the road.) ..... this Gershwin masterwork remains one of the greatest of all American musicals and musical theatre scores. It wasn't until several years after GEORGE GERSHWIN's untimely death at the age of 38 that the work received the acclamation it deserved. This Broadway revival starred TODD DUNCAN as "Porgy", ETTA MOTEN as "Bess" and WARREN COLEMAN as "Crown". Others in the cast included AVON LONG, EDWARD MATTHEWS, GEORGETTE HARVEY, RUBY ELZY, J. ROSAMOND JOHNSON, HARRIETT JACKSON and THE EVA JESSYE CHOIR .The story follows Porgy, a disabled black beggar living in the slums of Charleston where he tries to rescue his beloved Bess from an abusive lover.Black and white illustration surrounded by red with “George Gershwin and Du Bose Heyward’s Porgy and Bess Souvenir Program” printed below. Front pages with black and white photos of Gershwin and Heyward with biographies printed below. Program includes cast list with photos, press reviews and photos from the production. Includes insert with photo and bio of Mr. William Franklin who replaced the original Porgy and inserted smaller program from the same play.

Item #18168

Price: $185.00