by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin

Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, October 29, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 31, 2010 at 3:00 p.m.

Dayton Opera opens its 50th Anniversary Season with The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess. This is the “Big One;” The Great American Opera, celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2010! With beloved music like “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “Bess You Is My Woman Now”, the residents of Catfish Row, 1920’s Charleston SC, will vividly come to life on the stage of the Schuster Center. This production will bring together a broad-based community-wide collaboration and celebration fitting for our 50th Season opener!

Sung in English with English Surtitles

50th Anniversary Celebration Sponsor
     Miriam Rosenthal Memorial Trust Fund

50th Anniversary Main Stage Title Sponsor
     Kettering Health Network

Leadership Sponsors:
      Emerson Climate Technologies. Inc.

     Premier Health Partners:
          Miami Valley Hospital
          Good Samaritan Hospital

     Vectren Corporation

Performance Sponsors:
     The Dayton Foundation
     Caryl D. Philips


                              CAST: 

Porgy....................................Thomas Ray Beard Jr.*
Bess......................................Kearstin Piper Brown
Crown.............................................................TBA
Serena........................................Adrienne Danrich
Clara..........................................NaGuanda Nobles
Sportin' Life..................................Roderick George*
Maria..............................................Judith Skinner*
Jake................................................Eric McKeever
Robbins........................................Vincent B. Davis*
Mingo............................................Phumzile Sojola
Jim......................................William Henry Caldwell
Lily/Strawberry Woman................Deborah Nansteel
Crabman/Nelson............................Tifton C. Graves

Conductor........................................Neal Gittleman
Director...............................................Gary Briggle
Choreographer.......................Debbie Blunden-Diggs
Dancers.........Dayton Contemporary Dance Company

Singers from Wilberforce and Central State Universities are participating in the Dayton Opera Chorus.

* Dayton Opera Debut

Art & Arias / Opera Overtures

Luke Dennis is back to give you the opera-tunity to get to know the music, plot, and background of each opera production this season. Plan to attend one of these one-hour programs at the following locations. ART & ARIAS is held in the beautiful NCR Renaissance Auditorium at The Dayton Are Institute and includes live musical excerpts and related art history from a DAI docent. FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!!!

Art & Arias

Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.
Located at: The Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton

Opera Overtures

Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 5:00 p.m.
Located at: Books & Company, Town & Country Shopping Center, Kettering

• The Story of Porgy and Bess
• How to Go—where to go, what to do, what to wear
• Porgy and Bess Cast Bio's