Article: PORGY & BOBBY; Bobby McFerrin will conduct the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in three performances of `Porgy and Bess' this week - but it's not his first encounter with George Gershwin's great American opera. That happened when his father sang the title role for the soundtrack for the 1959 movie - the role played by Sidney Poitier.(ENTERTAINMENT)

George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," with its timeless songs ("Summertime," "Bess, You Is My Woman Now") and its endearing tale of good times and bad down in Catfish Row, has been part of the fiber of American life since its 1935 Broadway premiere.

For Bobby McFerrin, who will conduct the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in three performances of selections from the work starting Thursday at the Ordway Music Theatre, "Porgy and Bess" has special significance: His father, Robert McFerrin, sang the role of Porgy in the 1959 film version, dubbing the voice of Sidney Poitier.

McFerrin, who was 9 when the film was made, recalls hearing his father sing numbers from ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!