The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess Returns to the Met on December 2

Marking the opera’s 90th anniversary and world-renowned mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves’s retirement from the stage 

Alfred Walker and Brittany Renee make their Met role debuts as Porgy and Bess;

conductor Kwamé Ryan and soprano Vuvu Mpofu make their company debuts

Ryan Speedo Green also makes his role debut as Crown 

New York, NY (November 10, 2025)—Following its acclaimed 2019 premiere and 2021 return, the Met’s production of the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess opens on December 2 for 13 performances and runs through January 24, 2026—marking the opera’s 90th anniversary.

This run will feature the final operatic performances of Denyce Graves, who will retire from the stage following her closing performance as Maria on January 24, 2026. The world-renowned mezzo-soprano made her Met debut in 1995 in the title role of Bizet’s Carmen.

The production also features conductor Kwamé Ryan in his company debut, leading a cast that includes bass-baritone Alfred Walker and soprano Brittany Renee in their Met role debuts as Porgy and Bess. Soprano Vuvu Mpofu makes her Met debut as Clara, sharing the role with soprano and Lindemann Young Artist Jazmine Saunders. Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green returns to the Met for his second appearance this season, as Crown, following his acclaimed turn in Mozart’s Don Giovanni earlier this fall; he will also appear later this season as King Marke in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Additional cast highlights include baritone Benjamin Taylor as Jake and tenor Frederick Ballentine reprising his celebrated portrayal of Sportin’ Life. Sopranos Latonia Moore and Leah Hawkins share the role of Serena, and mezzo-soprano Tichina Vaughn performs the role of Maria for two performances.

James Robinson’s staging returns, with a creative team that also includes set designer Michael Yeargan, costume designer Catherine Zuber, lighting designer Donald Holder, projection designer Luke Halls, choreographer Camille A. Brown, and fight director David Leong.

Graves’s legendary career includes 158 appearances with the Met, including as Sally in Kevin Puts’s The Hours, Auntie in Britten’s Peter Grimes, Marnie’s Mother in Nico Muhly’s Marnie, Dalila in Saint-Saëns’s Samson et Dalila, Federica in Verdi’s Luisa Miller, Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto, and Baba the Turk in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress.

Although she will retire from singing, Graves will continue to shape the operatic world through her work as a stage director and through her educational and advocacy initiative, the Denyce Graves Foundation—which champions equity and inclusion in the arts.

Porgy and Bess, completed in 1935 and publicized as an “American folk opera,” explores the relationships among members of a close-knit community in 1920s South Carolina. Created by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, the score is infused with timeless melodies that have become standards of the Great American Songbook, including “Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” “Bess, You Is My Woman Now,” “I Loves You, Porgy,” and “My Man’s Gone Now.”

Met Under 40

The Met’s popular young-audience program, Met Under 40, expands this season with discounted ticket options for audiences aged 40 and under in the Orchestra, Grand Tier, and Dress Circle sections for select performances. A special Met Under 40 party will also be held ahead of the performance of Porgy and Bess on January 16, 2026, featuring complimentary wine, hors d’oeuvres, and more. For further details, please click here.

Porgy and Bess Worldwide Broadcasts on Radio and Online

The December 2 and January 24 performances of Porgy and Bess will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on the SiriusXM app. The December 2 performance will also be streamed live on the Met’s website, metopera.org. The January 24 performance will also be broadcast over The Robert K. Johnson Foundation–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.

Toll Rush Tickets
The Met Opera app is now available for download on mobile devices, offering users a new way to purchase Toll Rush Tickets via an automated lottery. Lotteries open two weeks prior to a performance, and winners are notified the day before the performance. Learn more about the Met Opera app here.

For More Information

For further details on Porgy and Bess, including casting by date, please click here.