Porgy and Bess premiered on Broadway in 1935 and its music took root in our culture, with iconic songs like “Summertime” and “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” becoming popular classics. It’s themes of community resilience, acceptance, and redemption weave a poignant story, all told through a “melting pot” of musical styles from folk to blues, to spirituals, to jazz, to Broadway theater music, and classical to create what is considered by many to be the greatest American opera.
