Review: Showboat at San Francisco Opera

I was surprised that Showboat - a traditional American Musical - was being staged by San Francisco Opera. I found a discounted ticket through Travelzoo, so I decided to attend the musical, based partly on great online reviews.

The production was massive - over 80 cast members. In addition, the costumes and overall production quality were genuinely extraordinary. We really enjoyed the show - much more than I expected.

The stand-out and most memorable tune (and there were many) was "Ol' Man River," sung by Morris Robinson (playing Joe). His voice was so deep and powerful, making the whole song unforgettable.


Here is what San Francisco Opera had to say about it:

Music by Jerome Kern · Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Based on the novel Show Boat by Edna Ferber

COMPANY PREMIERE 

A true classic of American musical theater, this tale of life on the Mississippi from the 1880s to the 1920s is both a poignant love story and a powerful reminder of the bitter legacy of racism. Director Francesca Zambello’s grand-scale production is "a triumph—a stylish, fast-paced and colorful show that had the capacity audience on its feet, cheering loud and long" (Chicago Classical Review). The magnificent Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II score, which includes such classic songs as "Ol’ Man River," "Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man," "Make Believe" and "You Are Love," will sound glorious "under the authoritative baton of music-theater maestro John DeMain" (Chicago Tribune). "No one should miss it" (Chicago Sun-Times).

According to General Director David Gockley, "Show Boat will be done in grand opera fashion in the way the creators conceived. The Opera House is—I believe—the appropriate venue for these great classic musicals that require full-voiced, 'legit' singing."

"One memorable song follows another, each an enduring thread in the fabric of American popular culture." –Chicago Tribune