Bartlett Sher Slated to Direct New Porgy and Bess at Met Opera in 2019-2020 Season

In an interview with the Met's general manager Peter Gelb, The New York Times reported that Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher is scheduled to helm a new production of the Gershwins' Porgy and Bess as part of the Metropolitan Opera's 2019-2020 season. Grammy-winning opera singer Eric Owens has already been tapped to star.

As previously reported, Sher is set to direct Broadway's My Fair Lady in spring 2018. Sher received a 2008 Tony Award for directing South Pacific and is currently Tony-nominated for his work on Oslo. He also received Tony nominations for The King and I, Golden Boy, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Awake and Sing! and The Light in the Piazza. He has regularly worked at the Met, having directed stagings of The Barber of Seville (2006), Tales of Hoffman (2009), Le Comte Ory (2011) and Two Boys (2011).

Set in Charleston’s fabled Catfish Row, Porgy and Bess follows beautiful Bess as she struggles to break free from her scandalous past, and the crippled but courageous Porgy (Owens). The Tony-winning Broadway revival starred Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald in the respective title roles. McDonald garnered her fifth Tony win for her performance.

Official dates, casting and a creative team will be announced at another time.