Myra Merritt knows "Porgy and Bess."
The soprano was in the cast of two productions, one in Houston and one at the Metropolitan Opera in New
York, that helped revive the George Gershwin opera.
As a Bowling Green State University faculty member she has shared her love of the opera with her
students. When she takes African-American singers into local public schools to do Black History Month
programs under the aegis of LEVAS (Lift Every Voice and Sing) they always perform numbers from
"Porgy and Bess."
And periodically they’ll ask her, why the opera isn’t produced on campus?
"I don’t have enough Black singers," she tells them.
Gershwin stipulated that the opera could only be performed with African-American singers. The cast must
be black, except for a couple minor roles. Gershwin felt, Merritt said, that only African-American
singers could do justice to the dialect and the musical milieu. "It’s about us," she said.
On Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. a concert version of excerpts of the opera will be presented as part of the Festival
Series. The concert will feature guest soloists including soprano and BGSU graduate Kisma Jordan in the
role of Bess, the voices of BGSU students in solo roles and in the chorus all backed by the Bowling
Green Philharmonic, conducted by Emily Freeman Brown. Other guest soloists are baritone Daniel
Washington as Porgy and baritone Alvin B. Waddles III as Crown. The choir will be a combination of the
university’s gospel choir, singers from the College of Music and community members. Tickets are $12 to
$30. Call (419) 372-8171.
"I was really eager to have it done," said BGSU student Chris Jackson. To him it was gratifying
"that we had an opera specifically for black Americans."
And the work is "truly an American opera," said student Monique Young. "Everybody loves
‘Summertime,’" she said, referring to the opera blues-laden lullaby. Other songs "My Man’s
Gone Now," "It Ain’t Necessarily So" and "I Got Plenty of Nothin’" all have
been widely performed outside the context of the opera.
Gershwin picked up on the vocal inflections and incorporated jazz, blues and gospel, yet the opera still
has a classical feel.
"It’s a true American opera because it incorporates so many different genres," Merritt said.

Gershwin moved to South Carolina to absorb the culture and color of the place, Merritt said.
Greg Ashe, who will sing Sportin’ Life’s part, said his part as the drug dealing creep is "a lot of
fun," a welcome change from the usual characters tenors play.
As Serena, Young sings the heart rending "My Man’s Gone Now."
She admits it’s daunting to sing a piece sung by so many great voices in the past, including her favorite
rendition by Audra MacDonald.
But she approaches from the inside. She doesn’t think so much about singing a song as living a role.
"How would I act if I was in that time and place, if my husband had been killed. How am I going to
feed my children?
"I can’t think about how to sing it. I just let it happen," she said.
In her role as Maria, the matriarch of Catfish Row, Kirsten Crockett says she also has to draw on her
life experience and people she knows.
They will have to bring these characters to life with the full force of the orchestra behind them.
"It’s scary," Young said. "Eighty people with instruments and I have this itty bitty
little thing here," she said pointing to her throat. Still that orchestral sound "is so
lush."
"You just have to let the orchestra play and just ride on top of it," Ashe said.
Others with featured roles in the production are: Rebecca Eaddy, Franklin Brewer, Preston Wilson, Ryan
Jones, and Karrie Lester. The Feb. 26 concert is the culmination of work dating back to last semester,
and a number of preview performances, in which students have had the chance to sing the title roles.