Show: PORGY AND BESS
Theater: The Ritz Theatre Company
Theater Website: https://ritztheatreco.org/the-gershwins-porgy-and-bess/
Show runs: 05/01/2026 to 05/24/2026
(May 1 – May 24, 2026)
By George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin
Book Adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks
Musical Score Adapted by Diedre L. Murray
Directed by Darryl Thompson, Jr.
Set in the 1930s in Catfish Row, a Black community in Charleston, South Carolina, PORGY AND
BESS tells the story of Porgy, a kind but disabled beggar, and Bess, a woman trying to escape
her violent lover Crown and the seductive pull of drugs offered by Sportin’ Life. After Crown
kills a man and disappears, Bess finds refuge with Porgy, and the two fall in love. But when
Crown returns and Sportin’ Life tempts Bess with a new life in New York, she struggles
between her past and a chance at redemption. Porgy kills Crown to protect her, but after
being jailed, he returns to find Bess gone. Refusing to give up, Porgy sets out to find her,
driven by love and hope.
Featuring well known songs such as “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty of Nothin’,” and “It Ain’t
Necessarily So,” this rarely produced Gershwin gem holds a unique and important place in
American cultural and musical history. Join us as it is presented on the Ritz stage for the very
first time.
Theater Address: 915 White Horse Pike , NJ 08107 Phone: (856) 288-3500 Arts District Haddon Township, New Jersey 08107 (Map It)
Theater Phone: (856) 288-3500
Theater Amenities:
Price:
Purchase tickets online: https://ritztheatreco.org/tickets-overview/
