Arts & Entertainment
Show Boat Arrives at The Portland Opera
The controversial musical about mixed race relationships comes with special talks, events
By Arashi Young
Of The Skanner News
W
hen the musical
“Show
Boat”
opened at the
Ziegfeld Theatre in New
York City on Dec. 27, 1927,
critics were immediately
enthralled. Brooks Atkin-
son, writing for the New
York Times, called it “unim-
peachable”
and
“intelligently made.”
The production was
adapted from Edna Ferber’s
Previous musical theater
pieces would have Black
artists performing in sepa-
rate acts from white artists.
It was also the first musical
to feature an interracial mar-
riage and characters who
attempted to “pass” as
white.
The Portland Opera is
showing performances of
“Show Boat” from May 1 –
9 and is hosting a series of
events around Portland to
explore the production in
more depth.
discussion.
Portland Opera Commu-
nications Manager Ingrid
Arnett said the panel dis-
cussion is a new addition to
their outreach effort and an
occasion to explore for-
ward-thinking issues.
“’Show Boat’ did so much
for musical theatre because
it was so progressive for its
time,” Arnett said. “Even
now it presents a great
opportunity to sit down and
talk about these large issues
– the struggle against preju-
“Show Boat” was the first racially integrated
musical which had Black and white performers
appearing and singing on stage together
book of the same name. The
story followed the lives of
performers, crew and dock
workers on the show boat
Cotton Blossom as they pur-
sue stardom, fall in love,
separate and reunite.
“Show Boat” was the first
racially integrated musical
which had Black and white
performers appearing and
singing on stage together.
The first event in the
series was a guided discus-
sion on how race is
portrayed in the musical.
Portland Community Col-
lege Professor Carmen
Thompson will join cast
members Angela Renee
Simpson and Arthur Wood-
ley and the Portland Opera
educators Bob Kingston and
Alexis Hamilton in a panel
dice, racism and economic
injustice.”
The panel took place at
Highland United Church of
Christ on April 7.
Hamilton said the out-
reach for “Show Boat” is
important because of the
provocative nature of the
work, which was set in
1895.
“It deals with race in the
We honor the many
accomplishments of African
Americans.
It is our primary goal as a
labor union to better the
lives of all people working
in the building trades
through advocacy, civil
demonstration, and the
long-held belief that work-
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A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength-
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Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people
working in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this
small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the
American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard-
less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious
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Page 8 The Portland and Seattle Skanner April 8, 2015
The Portland Opera will perform the Hal Prince version, which was a 1994
revival of the show with a strong focus on the lives of the Black characters
within the performance.
United States at that time,”
Hamilton said, adding that
the language used and the
historical stereotypes can be
uncomfortable, even when
used to examine issues of
social justice and prejudice.
The production of “Show
Boat,” which has been
remounted and revised
many times in the years
since 1927, becomes a
reflection of racial attitudes
at the time, according to
Hamilton. Some versions
would try to be politically
correct by erasing any
uncomfortable race stereo-
type or language and would
instead focus on beautiful
costumes and the love songs
for white performers.
“Instead of mindfully por-
traying a time and space,
and mindfully dealing with
the racial issues, often pro-
ductions have tried to
mitigate it by just excluding
it, not dealing with it,”
Hamilton said.
The Portland Opera will
perform the Hal Prince ver-
sion, which was a 1994
revival of the show. Prince
had a strong focus on the
lives of the Black characters
within the performance,
showing the hard labor of
the dock workers who live a
life apart from the white
folks.
Another focus of Prince’s
version is white appropria-
tion of Black art and
culture. Magnolia, a white
singer from “Show Boat,”
thrives as a performer
because she can sing with a
“Black voice,” while the
Black artists who taught her
to sing could not reach the
same success.
Hamilton believes the
Prince take on “Show Boat”
is an opportunity to pose
large questions about race
and privilege. She says the
Hamilton and Kingston
will also host an “Opera in
Depth” lecture on the histo-
ry and social implications
behind the show at the
Hampton Opera Center on
April 20.
One hour before every
performance there will be
free information session
with Kingston. And after the
show there will be a free 30-
minute “Back Talk” Q and
A with join General Direc-
tor Christopher Mattaliano,
performers and conductors.
Portland Opera has also
partnered with the Holly-
wood Theatre to bring a
The Portland Opera is showing
performances of “Show Boat”
from May 1 – 9
arguments found in the
show still happen to this
day.
“We are taking art and
using it as a springboard to
have a discussion that needs
to happen in the United
States today, that needs to
happen in our community in
Portland,” Hamilton said.
film screening of the 1936
version of “Show Boat”
directed by James Whale.
The critically acclaimed
film features the work of
Paul Robeson whose rendi-
tion of “Ol’ Man River”
remains one of the most
famous and loved versions
to this day.