Overture Magazine - 2018-19 Season BSO_Overture_MAR_APR | Page 35

LESLIE ODOM, JR. WITH THE BSO
indestructible Crown. He mocks
their fears and prayers with the song
“A Red-headed Woman,” boasting of his
conquests. When Bess sees Jake’s boat
overturned in the river, the distraught
Clara rushes out into the storm. Crown
follows to try to save her.
JOSEPH MEYERHOFF SYMPHONY HALL
Friday, April 26, 2019, 8 pm
Jack Everly, conductor
Leslie Odom, Jr., vocalist
Act III, Scene 1: A calm evening after
the storm. Clara, Jake and some of the
fishermen have been drowned, and
the women mourn them in a haunting
chorus. Thought dead, Crown suddenly
creeps back to reclaim Bess. In a furious
struggle under Porgy’s window, the
crippled man defends his woman and
kills Crown.
Act III, Scene 3: A week later, Porgy
returns to the Row: there’s not enough
evidence to charge him. Eagerly, he
looks for Bess while the neighbors watch
in embarrassment (“Bess, oh where’s
my Bess?”). In a trio, Serena and Maria
tell him Bess has sold her soul to the
Devil and he’s better off without her.
Porgy doesn’t agree. Even when told
New York is a thousand miles away, he
is determined to go there and bring her
back. Calling for his goat cart, he leaves
Catfish Row on his impossible quest
(“Oh Lawd, I’m on my way”).
Instrumentation: Two flutes including piccolo,
two oboes including English horn, three
clarinets including bass clarinet, bassoon, three
saxophones, three horns, three trumpets, two
trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, piano,
banjo and strings.
Notes by Janet E. Bedell, © 2019
The concert will end approximately at 10 pm.
SUPPORTING SPONSOR:
About the Artists
Jack Everly
For Jack Everly’s bio, please see pg. 10
Act III, Scene 2: The next morning,
the police arrive to investigate Crown’s
murder; they take Porgy down to the
station for questioning. Sensing his
opportunity, Sportin’ Life moves in on
Bess and offers her some of his “happy
dust.” He tells her Porgy will be in jail
for years and urges her to join him in the
high life of New York (“There’s a boat
that’s leavin’”). Bess at first fends him off,
then, taking some of the dope, succumbs
to temptation and they leave together.
Selections to be announced from stage.
Leslie Odom, Jr.
Multifaceted performer
Leslie Odom, Jr.
completed his run on
Broadway starring
as Aaron Burr in
the original cast of the blockbuster hit
musical Hamilton, a role that earned
him the 2016 Tony Award for Lead
Actor in a Musical. He is also a Grammy
Award-winner as a principal soloist on
Hamilton’s Original Broadway Cast
Recording, which won the 2016 award
for Best Musical Theater Album.
Odom, Jr. made his Broadway debut
at the age of 17 in Rent before heading to
Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious
School of Drama where he graduated
with honors. He is the recipient of a 2002
Princess Grace Award for Acting, which is
dedicated to identifying emerging talent
in theater, dance and film.
Additional theatre credits include Leap
of Faith on Broadway, for which he won
the 2012 Astaire Award for Outstanding
Male Dancer on Broadway and was

nominated for a Drama League Award;
the 2014 musical Venice, which also
played at The Public Theater; and the
Encores! Off-Center production of Tick,
Tick...Boom!, which was his first time
working with Hamilton creator, Lin-
Manuel Miranda.
On the small screen, Odom, Jr. is best-
known for his portrayal of Sam Strickland
in the NBC musical series Smash and his
recurring role as Reverend Curtis Scott on
Law & Order: SVU. He’s also appeared
in episodes of Gotham, Person of Interest,
Grey’s Anatomy, House of Lies, Vanished
and CSI: Miami. On the big screen he
starred in Kenneth Branagh’s reimaging
of Agatha Christie’s, Murder on the Orient
Express featuring an all-star cast including
Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Dame
Judi Dench, as well as the 2012 film Red
Tails opposite Terrence Howard, Cuba
Gooding Jr. and David Oyelowo.
Odom, Jr.’s debut solo album Leslie
Odom, Jr. was released in June 2016 on
S-Curve Records and quickly rose to
number one on the Billboard and iTunes
Jazz charts.
Odom Jr. was raised in Philadelphia
and currently resides in New York City.
Leslie Odom, Jr. makes his BSO debut.
M A R –A P R 201 9 / OV E R T U R E
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