linny914-ga,
Hello again, and thanks for clarifying that the information on Helen
Colbert -- though limited - would meet your needs.
Ms. Colbert had a very well-received part in a revival of Porgy and
Bess that toured around the US and around the world in the early part
of the 1950's. She was often mentioned in the theater reviews of the
time for her notable voice and striking beauty. Her rendition of
"Summertime" was the opening number in Porgy and Bess, so she had a
prominent role in setting the tone and expectation for the rest of the
performance to come.
She was part of an amazing theatrical and cultural phenomenon,
participating in a production that was not only recognized as a
masterpiece of theater in the US, but that toured around the world --
partly under the sponsorship of the United States Department of State
-- wowing crowds in Germany, Italy and even the Soviet Union. She
performed with some of the great theatrical personalities of the day,
and held her own.
After Porgy and Bess, she really drops out of site as far as I can
see, and under somewhat odd circumstances. You'll see what I mean in
the last excerpt below.
Before presenting the information on Ms. Colbert, let me explain two things:
(1) Much as I would like to, I cannot present here the full text of
the articles in which Ms. Colbert was mentioned, as they are protected
by copyright. However, I have provided the relevant excerpts, and a
librarian should be able to help you retrieve full copies of the
articles, if they are of interest.
(2) I checked quite a number of resources, including biographical
references, music encyclopedias, and some sites on notable
Africa-Americans. Other than a few Google search results and a number
of newspaper articles, there was no substantial information that I
could locate on Ms. Colbert.
I wish it were otherwise.
Having said that, here's what I came up with from newspaper searches:
'PORGY' WILL OPEN AT 'MET' ON SEPT. 3; Stands in Dallas and Capital to
Precede Limited Run Here -- Foreign Tour Scheduled
New York Times
May 7, 1952. p. 30
Realizing that a revival must be kneaded with super quality these days
to recapture its original glory, Blevins Davis and Robert Breen are
doing everything within their power to surpass former presentations of
"Porgy and Bess". How well they have succeeded should be apparent
when the famous Negro folk musical opens on Sept. 3 at the
Mteropolitan Opera House for a limited run...
Lined up for the cast thus far are William Warfield (LaVerne
Hutcherson is standing by to play the role of Porgy twice a week), Cab
Calloway (Sportin' Life), Leontyne Price and Helen Colbert alternate
in the role of Bess; Beorgia Burke, Helen Dowdy and possibly William
Marshall for the part of Crown.
[NOTE: This is the only reference I saw that mentioned Ms. Colbert in
the role of Bess; all other articles have her playing Clara]
'Porgy' n Bess'
The Washington Post
Jul 27, 1952. p. L1 )
[Ms. Colbert is simply mentioned as part of the cast for the
Washington DC show, along with...]
Helen Thigpen as Serent
William Warfield -- Porgy [Warfield sang "Old Man River" in the movie, Showboat).
Urylee Leonardos and Leontyne Price alternating as Bess.
'Porgy and Bess' In Brilliant Revival
The Washington Post
Aug 7, 1952. p. 6
[Ms. Colbert played the character of Clara in the Washington
production, and sings the shows most famous tune, "Summertime']
President Truman last night led a cheering National Theater audience
at the opening of "Porgy and Bess," soon to represent our country at
the Berlin Festival....
...To single many from the large group is almost unfair, yet...Helen
Colbert's "Summertime" opens the rich act one with silvery splendor...
...Also in the audience: Dorothy Heyward...getting her first view of
this new version of her late husband's work; Clarence Derwent, who led
Equity's fight against segregation in the National and who got a real
thrill from seeing a packed house.
'Porgy' Is Surely a Masterpiece
The Washington Post
Aug 10, 1952. p. L1
...Helen Colbert's opening "Summertime" is as beautiful as ever, as is
all her singing...
BERLIN LOVES 'BESS' AS MUCH AS 'PORGY'; Twenty-One Curtain Calls and
Awed Reviews Make Negro Cast Feel Right at Home
New York Times
Sep 18, 1952. p. 36
BERLIN -- "Porgy and Bess" opened here tonight...and staggered an
audience of Germans and Western Allies with its richness of music,
story and acting...
The audience rose to its feet at the final curtain, forcing twenty-one
curtain calls, during which shouts of bravo rang through the house...
...Neither the English language nor the folkways of the residents of
"Catfish Strasse" was any handicap to the Germans, who, from the first
rendition of "Summertime" by Helen Colbert, caught on to the spirit of
the music of George Gershwin.
AT THE THEATRE By BROOKS ATKINSON.
New York Times
Mar 10, 1953. p. 25
[This review simply mentions Ms. Colbert briefly, but it is one of the
few articles to actually include a photograph from the show with a
number of unidentified male and female cast members...I thought you
might like to know of it]
Advertisement
New York Times
Mar 19, 1953. p. 60
[This was an ad for the Ziegfeld Theatre that compiled reviews from a
number of different sources]
It's All Gershwin and All Gold
...Whitney Bolton in the Morning Telegraph puts the cherry on the
cake..."...by far the best production the Gershwin folk opera ever has
had...Bravura, color, detonation and swift, incessant movement...Helen
Colbert's Clara is enchantingly beautiful and her singing of the
deathless "Summertime" fills the theatre with golden notes..."
O'Neill's Endearing Young 'Wilderness'
The Washington Post
Jan 14, 1954. p. 18
[This review of Eugene O'Neil's "Ah, Wilderness" also mentions the
last few performances of Porgy and Bess]:
"...you haven't lived until you've seen it...there are thoroughly
remarkable things from the moment the curtain goes up...At this point
we meet Helen Colbert singing Clara's haunting air, "Summertime," a
shimmering, silvery delight..."
[The article also mentions the almost unbelievable absence of a
recording of the production]:
"...The producers...will soon have something to answer for: for a
company like this not to have a full-length recording is a
disgrace..."
Los Angeles Times
Jun 13, 1954, pg. D2
Porgy and Bess Will Come to LA July 12
[Ms. Colbert listed in the role of Clara]
==========
An online resource:
www.newspaperarchive.com
makes available a large number of newspapers from many smaller towns
and cities across the country, two of which had articles about Ms.
Colbert:
Hillsboro (Ohio) Press Gazette
January 19, 1954
Directly from smash hit engagements on Broadway and Europe, the new
production of..."Porgy and Bess" comes to Cincinnati for a seek's stay
at the Taft Theater...
[Ms. Colbert is listed as a cast member ]
Lastly, as far as newspapers go, I came across a rather strange
article from 1956...I wish I knew what to make of it, but all I can
really do is present the information as I found it:
Lima (Ohio) News
April 1, 1956
Soprano Denies Quitting US Over Segregation
BONN -- Negro soprano Helen Colbert of Philadelphia appealed to the US
Embassy at Bonn...to protect her from a smear campaign alleging she
has "turned her back" to America in protest against racial
segregation.
The 26-year-old singer left the cast of the "Porgy & Bess"
troupe...when it finished a tour behind the Iron Curtain...in Russia
and Poland.
Mrs. Colbert told INS...from Stuttgart: "...I'm an American and don't
ever intend to be anything else. I resent my name being used as a
vehicle for anti-Americanism in these critical times..."
[The article is brief and fairly obscure, I'm afraid. I'd like to be
able to add more, but there was nothing else I could find. Perhaps
your husband's own family history can shed some additional light here]
To add a bit to the mystery, there was a 1963 recording of Porgy and
Bess at which Ms. Colbert is notably absent:
New Porgy Beats 'Em All
Washington Post
September 6, 1963 pg B7
Ironically, the most impressive of all "Porgy and Bess" productions
not only lost a fortune...but it could never be recorded...[the]
revival, for all its triumphs, ran into contractual problems for
commercial recording.
...Now that consideralbe loss is somewhat redeemed by...a new album,
"Great Scenes from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess."
[Much of the 1952 cast was re-assembled for the recording of this
album, including Leontyne Price in a dual role...]
...There are bonuses to this over stage work, for Miss Price in
glorious vocal form, now can double for Clara's "Summertime" (so
beautifully done in the Breen-Davis revival by Helen Colbert)...
In addition to the newspaper resources, there were small mentions of
Ms. Colbert on the internet:
The Internet Broadway Database has a listing for Helen Colbert which
lists only one stage credit -- Porgy and Bess:
http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=94684
Helen Colbert
Porgy and Bess
[Revival, Musical, Opera] Performer: Helen Colbert Mar 10, 1953 - Nov 28, 1953
and also has a full cast listing showing Ms. Colbert and all her co-performers:
http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=2223
Porgy and Bess
I very much wish there was more information to offer...the tidbits
here are tantalizing, and I'm sure you'd like to know more, as would
I. But there simply didn't seem to be any more out there.
However, please don't rate this answer until you feel you have
everything you need. If you would like any additional information
about the resources I used or the information that is available, just
post a Request for Clarification to let me know how I can assist you
further, and I'm at your service.
All the best,
pafalafa-ga |
,
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