Piece Comment

Excellent Option for Black History Month Programming and Beyond BHM


Producer/Host Boyce Lancaster threads two musical biographies in "Ruby Elzy: Black Diva of the Thirties." These two musician's lives, coincidentally, were themselves entwined. Soprano Ruby Elzy was George Gershwin's choice to portray the role of Serena in the original production of Porgy and Bess.

With the George Gershwin and Porgy and Bess phenomenon as a backdrop, the program follows Elzy's rise from small town Jim Crow living in Mississippi in her quest and "deep desire to become a singer," and to one day sing in a “big hall.”

This is a wonderful story of personal determination, lovely heart and soul, superb musicianship and survival amongst the most difficult of all odds. It's well told and mixed with electrifying historical musical performances.

Here's your Black History Month programming, but it would be a sin to limit it to only one month of the year. "Ruby Elzy: Black Diva of the Thirties" is also friendly to formats beyond classical.