Todd Duncan Was Gershwin’s Porgy

Press, Volume C, Issue 29502, 2 May 1961, Page 9

Todd Duncan Was Gershwin’s Porgy

Germany, Italy and Israel. Todd Duncan likes his concert* aareer ‘ West* of all, in spite of his successes on the lyric and dramatic stage and on the screen. The world of the songs of Brahms and Schubert and the arias of Purcell and Handel is his first and most

The negro baritone, Todd Theatre on May 6 and 9, was George Gershwin's choice to create the role of Porgy in his Opera, “Porgy and Bess” in 1935. The young baritone was a success then and an even greater success in the opera's spectacular revival in 1942-43, but he has not allowed himself to become typed. Not long after the orginal production of “Porgy and Bess,” Duncan ventured further into opera, singing leading baritone roles in works such as "Carmen” and “I Pagliacci" with the New York ,City Opera. For the last 12 years he has sung on the concert platform and with orchestras in every American state, in England, Scotland, Holland, Belgium, France,

lasting love. He does not forget Gershwin, however, and ‘T've got plenty o’ nuttin’ ” is an inevitable encore at his recitals. Todd Duncan has also been closely identified with the music of Kurt Weill, the composer of “The Threepenny Opera.” In 1949, the baritone cut short his second Australian tour to return to Broadway to play the leading role of Stephen Kumalo, the Zulu pastor, in Weill’s “Lost in the Stars,” which is based on Alan Paton’s novel, "Cry, the Beloved Country.” In this part, said the “New York Times,” he “sang magnificently and captured in his acting the sincerity of the kindly old man who comes through a terrible ordeal.” Todd Duncan has no long story of trials and tribulations, for the wolf was never at the Duncan family's door —his father. was a garage owner. His mother was a music teacher, and the boy's (musical talents were encouraged from a very early age. He completed an arts degree as well as a music course at Butler University, Indianapolis. While teaching at a high school in Louisville he made his first acquaintance with the stage—in amateur productions of such pieces as "The Chocolate Soldier" and Gilbert and Sullivan. He later continued his academic career by taking a master’s degree at Columbia University, at the same time studying singing. He was in the midst of a serious teaching career at Howard University—apart from occasional concerts—when he was called to New York to take part in an all-negro performance of “Cavalleria Rusticana.” After this he returned to the university. The next autumn, Gershwin was in despair after having auditioned nearly 100 negro actors for the role of Porgy in the forthcoming premiere of his opera. Then someone remembered the tall young Alfio of the Mascagni opera. From then it was not long before Todd Duncan was Porgy, the cripple of Catfish Row. Todd Duncan’s accompanist on this, his second visit to New Zealand, is George Malloy. Their programmes include songs and arias by Bach. Mozart, Brahms and Ravel.