Porgy and Bess: Fabulous by Wyona

In a comment box, Rebecca asked Wyona how Porgy and Bess was.

So I interviewed Wyona over the phone to find out.

What follows is Wyona's take on the event

Wyona speaking:

Marcia and her kids and Tonia came to the show.
Actually we were at the theatre and I was purchasing seats for Marcia, her 3 kids and Chelsea.

When we got to the Chinook Cineplex, all the seats were sold out except the front row.

I spoke to the woman in line who helps people purchasing their tickets, because there are only machines to buy from. She was asking if anyone needed help. I told her I need all the help. She said, I will give you all the help.

The machine will only let you buy so many tickets at once, so I had to purchase 2 bunches.

She gave me the seats in the front row of the theatre.

I said, that is hard on my neck. 

She said it is layed-back seats. Then Tonia telephoned and said she would be a little late. So the woman gave us one more front seat ticket.

Marcia bought 2 bags of popcorn. I told her that is not enough popcorn. I had in my bag 15 assorted pop which I had put outside all night to cool, but it was too warm at night and it would have been colder out of the fridge. I said to Marcia that I was going to take buckets, because it is easier to share that way. Marcia said she would bring some small ones as well.

I take the popcorn, put the buckets on the floor, pour the popcorn into the buckets, and I had a bag of candy for everyone, and another bag of pretzels and cheesies.

The pop gets passed down the line. One of the theatre ushers came and asked me, do you need help. I said we are fine. Everyone here has been waited on and everyone is laying back in their seats by now.

But this seat is not good for me. I put some coats behind me, but that is not enough, and I went out to the car to get my back pillow that I use when I drive.

Finally I settled in.

Catfish Row on the Charleston waterfront

The movie came on.

I started crying.

These tears were coming from my past.

This opera  is a record that my mother had at home. 

How many times did we scratch that Porgy and Bess record with the phonograph needle when we were growing up.

I cried for the first duet.

Then the song, “Summertime” comes on.

More tears.

Tonia is not here yet. When you have the front seats of the theatre, you get the real close-ups. You don’t get enough of the stage, for my tastes. The stage was full of people. The dancers come out and their bodies just move to the music. It is like their bodies can’t help doing that.

The lead singer, Porgy, has told us this will not be his perfect performance. He has a cold. His voice did crack a couple of times. That didn’t matter to any of us.

The actors seem to be in ordinary clothes but when I look at the costuming, it was wonderful.

Zach is asleep by now. I lean over Chelsea and wake him up. A minimum of four times this happens He said later to his mom, it hurts when she pokes.

At half time, Marcia said her kids all want to leave. I said I paid $200 for the tickets and they can’t leave.

I cried when I talked to the kids at half time, trying to explain why going to these events is important.

Marcia says to the kids, I am getting Junior Bacon Cheese Burgers for the second act. Marcia has gone out and got burgers and a flat of delicious cupcakes. They are eating their burgers in the show. I keep the cupcakes on my lap and then pass them down when the burgers are finished

The show itself was amazing.

I cried a number of times. When the trio comes to sing at the end, and Bess is gone, and they are singing and you can see the sweat running down their faces? Oh, that is amazing.

The whole cast is full of emotion.

If you don’t know the story line, you will miss a lot of this. I remembered that this show was not well accepted when it was first performed. Ten years later it became popular and that must be when my mother purchased the record for us to listen to. I think there was some kind of Reader's Digest programme where you could buy famous recordings.

Now Porgy and Bess is one of the CDs I carry in my car for when I am alone and driving. I carry Miss Saigon, The Drowsy Chaperone, Porgy & Bess and Sunset Boulevard when I travel alone to BC. Any of the above keep me awake.

I stayed for the lecture in the theatre but the other went out.

Camille A. Brown
choreographer

The choreographer comes out.

She has on this red dress, puffy sleeves, slit up to her crotch, her hair pulled back into a top knot bun, and you cannot take your eyes off of the glamour of the woman.

And so humble.

You see her working the dancers out in a film they have done during practise. 

They are in their leotards and she is in there getting the best out of them.

The choreography looked natural, but you know they have spent hours making it look natural. Only for a few seconds, do they dance together but every step is preplanned. My grandchildren would not have got any of this.

I had sent an email telling all of my children they have to take my grandchildren to this. I loved it because my mother loved it and played it.

I got a call from Laynie. Her Saturday was full of stuff and she couldn’t make it. Glen had called her, saying what is this about Porgy and Bess being on. Laynie and I talked a long time about wonderful events like this in London.

In London, you have to walk with Greg and he doesn’t stop walking from 10 in the morning until 8 at night.  That can be uncomfortable.  In London, you also have to go to shows with Wyona.  Some things just have to be done.

Audra Treleaven face-timed Senya Bates and Audra told Senya that the show was terrible. Trent called me after that. That Saturday was bad for them, so they are going to the Encore. Ezra had a story telling competition with 50 people that day: an all day event. Ezra performed at 9 am, 10 am and 2 pm. Ezra came in 5th of 50. So people’s days are full without the opera.

Angel Blue (left) as Bess and 
Frederick Ballentine (right) 
as Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess. 

KEN HOWARD / MET OPERA

Senya still said she is looking forward seeing the opera.

I told her I have canceled going to China and that I am coming to Texas instead.

She told me she can hardly wait to see me come.

None of my grandchildren have ever said that to me before.

I asked Kalina and Teresa if they liked seeing me, and they said yes, but then they ignored me and kept playing with their toys.

For me, Porgy and Bess was a $280 four-hour event. Tonia had bought her own popcorn and smarties, since that is the way popcorn comes now. 

Marcia had bought the $80 worth of treats.

I was home for about an hour after the opera and I knew I didn’t feel good. Too many theatre treats for me. And I didn’t even get to the candy. I only had popcorn and a cupcake. I passed on the burgers. Food must be part of the opera experience.

In the States there is a big bag of popcorn for $5 and a topping which they call butter, but which is not. I take all of Jamie’s popcorn and use her real butter on it.

I believe in buying all the treats the kids want and keeping them in the theatre no matter what. My motto is make sure they get all the treats that will keep them in their seats.

How was the opera, you ask, Rebecca?

So spectacular.

Photo: MetOpera

And the talks.

You see opera singers take on the persona of the opera characters and at the end when the bad guy comes on and the audience boos them, my grandchildren really laughed.

Booing in this context meant you did your job well.

The front row is pretty close.

When the Met season comes out in July, people in Calgary come and pick out their seats for a year. Then the Met has your money for the year, but you have your seats.

When you go with your grandchildren it is a different opera experience than when you go alone.  You spend some time poking people to wake them up. But still, even though some of my grandchildren say they hate it, when I look over, my grandchildren have their eyes on the screen. I was looking at my grandchildren when there was talk of wedding licences and no marriage, and they were listening.

The show was fabulous. I love it when the kids say they hate it.  I don't care if they hate it.  I got them there.

And I am the only one who got sick from eating too many snacks though I only had popcorn and pop.

Wyona

Readings:

Go out to the Met site and there you can hear many videos and read interviews with performers/
A new Porgy and Bess raises questions about race and opera