Question

What did the New York Metropolitan Opera say they would have to do in order to premiere "Porgy and Bess," and why?

A) They would have to rewrite the entire opera to fit the operatic style.
B) They needed to cast exclusively African American performers for authenticity.
C) They needed to add more jazz elements to the score.
D) They expressed concerns about the subject matter and the use of an all-black cast.

Answer 1

The New York Metropolitan Opera needed to cast exclusively African American performers for authenticity when staging 'Porgy and Bess'. This commitment to authentic portrayal reflects broader movements within the arts for genuine representation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is they needed to cast exclusively African American performers for authenticity. When staging “Porgy and Bess”, the New York Metropolitan Opera took into account the importance of authenticity in its portrayal of African American characters and the cultural context of the opera. The casting of African American performers was a matter of providing an authentic experience that resonates with the opera’s setting in a Black community of Charleston.

Although there were no explicit statements from the Metropolitan Opera about the subject matter and concern over the use of an all-black cast, the choice to cast exclusively African American performers aligns with the broader movements within the arts community to represent stories with genuine respect to the communities they depict. This has been an ongoing aspect of the production of “Porgy and Bess” since its inception and continues to influence decisions within opera and theater.