Also featured are Lester Lynch as Crown and Angela Renee Simpson as Serena, repeating the roles they sang at Dallas Opera in 1995. Making their debuts with the company are Victor Ryan Robertson as Sportin' Life, Janice Chandler-Eteme as Clara, Leon Williams as Jake and Bonita Hyman as Maria.

This production - the fourth in Dallas Opera's 51st Season - also marks the company debut of conductor Wayne Marshall, who points out that Porgy & Bess is "not a musical. It's a classic opera in the same vein as any Verdi or Mozart or Strauss opera."

"When you think about what George Gershwin went through in order to produce this work," the maestro continues. "He went down to South Carolina to absorb the culture down there; a culture so well-captured in this piece that I consider it Gershwin's masterpiece. No question about it."

Dallas Opera's Porgy & Bess has one remaining performance on Saturday, March 1st at 7:30. Next on their schedule is Puccini's Tosca, which begins performances March 7.

For more information, visit www.dallasopera.org

* * * * * * * *

All photos by Karen Almond for Dallas Opera.

The men of Catfish Row

Dancers from Dallas Black Dance Theater and the Dallas Opera cast and chorus

An intimate moment between Bess (Indira Mahajan) and Porgy (Gordon Hawkins)

Full-stage shot with Gordon Hawkins in the central position (and role) as Porgy

Sportin' Life (Victor Ryan Robertson) proclaims that "It Ain't Necessarily So."

"Goin' to New York..." Victor Ryan Robertson as Sportin' Life and Indira Mahajan as Bess

Mourning the loss of one of their own