Held annually in Charleston, South Carolina, The Spoleto Festival U.S.A (a 17-day showcase of opera, theater, dance, classical, and jazz music) will enter its 40th year upon its return this May. To honor the city that has hosted it since 1977, the 40th Spoleto Festival’s program will include a production of George Gershwin’s 1935 opera Porgy and Bess, set on the fictitious “Catfish Row” in Charleston. The Porgy and Bess production, which has been over a year in the making, will celebrate Charleston's history at a time when the city needs it most: in the wake of the Emanuel AME Church Shootings.
