Porgie, Bess and Happy Dust

Had an emotional rollercoaster evening at The Savoy Theatre with Chris watching 'Porgy and Bess'. I've never seen it before, either on stage or screen, and didn't know the story other than it's set in the deep South and has some classic songs. I was transfixed and cringeing by turns, transfixed by the emotional intensity of some of the scenes and cringeing at some of the racist overtones.

A tale of drug addiction and the Lord, the power of love to heal and inspire, the realities of death and the cheapness of life when medical students need bodies, cruelty at a personal and an institutional level, it's all in there and so much more. Lots of singing and some dancing, some powerful characters and some characters demonstrating the frailties of the soul.

Bess is a good-time girl who falls for Porgy, a disabled beggar, so she moves from the high life and 'happy dust' to move into a one-room shack when Porgy takes her in after her man kills someone. She finds love and acceptance and even wins over her religious neighbours. And then she meets her man again who's been hiding from the law and he brutally rapes her (off stage). He returns during a hurricane when they're all sheltering in a church but seems to die a hero. But he doesn't die, he comes back for Bess and Porgy kills him. Porgy is then arrested for disobeying a police officer. While he's away, Bess is tempted by the 'happy dust' and runs off to New York thinking Porgy will be in jail for years. Porgy is released a few days later and determines to go after her because he loves her, throws away his crutches and hobbles off into the sunset as the curtain comes down.

The precis misses many twists and turns and interesting characters but if you want to know more you should go and see it. You can see some video clips on the production website, including the great version of 'It Ain't Necessarily So' when Sporting Life tries to subvert the church trip to an island for a picnic to his own ends of booze, drugs and gambling.

I was a bit worried at the start - the first 15-20 minutes seemed so dark and unpleasant but it helps the contrast with later scenes as well as the dictates of plot. I'm pleased I've seen it and can recognise a great piece of work - the musical itself, the production and the performances. It was moving and it moved me.