(HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- The Ritz Theatre Company presents Porgy and Bess from May 1-24, 2026. Set in the 1930s in Catfish Row, a Black community in Charleston, South Carolina,the musical 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. The production is directed by Darryl Thompson, Jr.
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.
Porgy and Bess is from George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin; Book Adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks; Musical Score Adapted by Diedre L. Murray.
It features 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 them as it is presented on the Ritz stage for the very first time.
Remaining performances take place Friday, May 8 at 8:00pm; Saturday, May 9 at 2:00pm & 8:00pm; Sunday, May 10 at 2:00pm; Wednesday, May 13 at 7:30pm; Friday, May 15 at 8:00pm; Saturday, May 16 at 8:00pm; Sunday, May 17 at 2:00pm; Wednesday, May 20 at 7:30pm; Friday, May 22 at 8:00pm; Saturday, May 23 at 8:00pm; and Sunday, May 24 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase online. The theater is located at 915 White Horse Pike in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
