April 29, 2015
Page 13
Arts &
Curtain Opens for ‘Show Boat’
ENTERTAINMENT
Epic speaks
to true face
of America
The curtain is opening for Port-
land Opera’s production of “Show
Boat,” the award-winning Harold
Prince version of the epic play that
revolutionized American theater
with its musical sophistication
and embrace of racial diversity on
stage.
The saga of three romances
that blossom aboard a Mississippi
River show boat reflected the true
face of America as it was and still
is today, more than 80 years later.
Jerome Kern’s score for the
musical teems with powerful cho-
ruses, romantic duets and master-
ful songs, including “Bill,” “Make
Believe,” “Can’t Help Lovin’ That
Man,” and above all, “Ol’ Man
River.”
Show Boat presents an enor-
mous cross-section of American
life, contrasting wealth and pov-
erty, urban life and rural, northern
and southern attitudes, and the
impacts of privilege and preju-
dice. Without losing the vitality
and romance of the central story,
it manages to confront racial in-
justice sympathetically and pres-
ent what, in 1927, was a progres-
sive point of view about the roles
forced upon African Americans in
late 19th and early 20th century
America.
photo by M ark K iryiuk
The Portland premiere of the awarding-winning Harold Prince version of ‘Show Boat’ opens Friday at Keller Auditorium. The play revolution-
ized American theater by its epic story and being the first to use music and dance to explore what it’s like to be black and white in America.
Not only did Show Boat inte-
grate words and music and plot;
not only did it deal with serious
issues, altogether unheard of in
Jazz Age musicals; but it provid-
ed a venue in which black and
white actors first appeared to-
gether in an essential and equal
way on stage.
Show Boat also subtly depicted
the capacity of white America to
appropriate and profit from music
and dance styles that originated
in black culture. It’s credited with
being the first in a line of shows
to use music and dance to explore
what it has meant to be black and
white in America.
Performances are scheduled
Friday, May 1 through Satur-
day, May 9 at Keller Auditorium.
Tickets can be purchased at the
Portland Opera Box Office or by
phone at 503-241-1802.