Opening night was electric. At the end, in a sold-out Tanger Center, a long, standing ovation, and well deserved for the remarkable production of the challenging, historic opera.
Spartans were on the stage, in the orchestra, and behind the scenes in bringing “Porgy and Bess” to life, with Rhiannon Giddens singing one of the title roles and several others, such as Sidney Outlaw and Richard Hodges, playing prominent characters.
After four years of planning, under the guidance of Greensboro Opera general and artistic director, UNC Greensboro Professor of Music David Holley, and just a few weeks of all-cast rehearsals, a world class opera production took place in downtown Greensboro.
Alumnus Richard Hodges played the character of Frazier, the attorney, as well as being the cover for the major roles of Porgy and Crown.
“It was great to be able to come back to Greensboro and to share my gifts, and so nice to be performing among so many UNCG alumni,” said Hodges. “I love that there are these opportunities for alumni to come back and really give themselves, to show what they’ve been working on in this art form, and really give it back in this space that helped nurture them. It was a great day for Greensboro and a great day for UNCG. ”
Hodges earned a master’s degree from UNCG’s School of Music in 2015. A Greensboro native, he had attended Greensboro Opera’s summer camp as a pre-teen and teenager, when he worked with David Holley and Elvira Green, a vocal coach and internationally renowned singer who also performed in “Porgy and Bess.”
“I was too big to be in the children’s chorus for ‘Carmen,’” he said. “And I became the youngest member of the Greensboro Opera adult chorus.”
He sang in the adult chorus throughout his high school years, 1998-2002. After graduating from NCCU, Hodges became the choral director for his alma mater Page High School before attending UNCG and subsequently earning a doctorate from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. He is now a tenured professor of music at South Carolina State University.
“It felt like a community, a family,” said Detra Davis, now in her third year of UNCG’s Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance program. She sang the role of Annie and has been performing with Greensboro Opera since 2017, including performances of “Carmen,” and “Madame Butterfly.” She also performed in UNCG Opera’s “Falstaff” and served as assistant director on Greensboro Opera’s “Hansel and Gretel.” Davis’ path to the Tanger Stage also began with Elvira Green who, while teaching at the University of the Virgin Islands where Davis studied, convinced her to audition for UNCG’s School of Music, and the rest is history.
“I didn’t realize there were so many alumni in the cast until we started interacting with each other,” she said about the first rehearsals. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ You know, it was such a great feeling to be among UNCG colleagues and professionals.”
The Greensboro Opera “Porgy and Bess” cast included UNCG faculty members Donald Hartmann and Robert Wells; UNCG students Doug Grimm, Collin McCrea, Michael Adams, Diana Thompson-Brewer, Danielle Dorsett, Olivya Moore, Zion-Grace Foster, Rafael Garcia, and Reggie Powell; and UNCG alumni Stefany Spencer and Travis Gilliam, as well as Charles Williamson and Lindell Carter, who both just finished a run of “Porgy and Bess” at the Metropolitan Opera.
Story by Susan Kirby-Smith, University Communications and Michael Harris, University Advancement
Photography of dress rehearsal by Martin W. Kane, University Communications
