Porgy and Bess

American  

[pawr-gee uhn bes] / ˈpɔr gi ən ˈbɛs /

noun

1. an opera (1935) with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin.

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Porgy and Bess Cultural  

1. An opera with music by George Gershwin. It depicts life in the African-American community of Charleston, South Carolina. Porgy is a handicapped beggar who protects Bess, only to have her leave town with a rival. The songs “Summertime” and “It Ain't Necessarily So” are from Porgy and Bess.

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Example Sentences

Whole albums have been devoted to “Porgy and Bess” by such artists as Miles Davis, the Modern Jazz Quartet and Ella Fitzgerald with Louis Armstrong.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ninety years ago this autumn, George Gershwin unveiled “Porgy and Bess” on Broadway—and confusion reigned.

From The Wall Street Journal

When “Porgy and Bess” had its Broadway premiere on Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Porgy and Bess” lives on not only as a stage production but as a boundless source of songs that singers and jazz musicians have made their own.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Porgy and Bess” portrays a community economically pressed yet culturally vibrant, tested by daily strain and sustained by hope.

From The Wall Street Journal