“A crowd pleasing night of musical theatre. It’s hard to disappoint when the tunes are by Gershwin . . .[and] an a cappella rendition of the spiritual "Hush, Little Baby" sung by Gullah crabbers . . . touched the hearts of those sitting in the audience . . ..”  —The Post and Courier, 2013

Cast:  Multi-racial cast of 24
Sets: Multiple sets including an NBC radio studio, a beach cottage, a beach pavilion, a crabbing dock, a juke joint, and a beach scene.
Recommended for:  general audiences
Music: Scored for 8: Piano/conductor, keyboard II (synth and onstage piano), trumpet, trombone, Reed I, Reed II, Bass, drums

Gershwin at Folly tells the musical story of George Gershwin's 1934 Folly Beach sojourn where he was introduced to the sights and sounds of South Carolina's rich Gullah culture by his host, author DuBose Heyward. Together they take in the heavenly melodies of a Gullah congregation, the devilish dance moves at a local juke joint, and even find time to throw a crab line into a nearby creek. Against this rich South Carolina Lowcountry backdrop, Gershwin and Heyward begin work on their immortal Porgy and Bess. But soon Gershwin finds himself distracted by late night jam sessions at his beach-front cottage and drawn to the swinging sounds of the dance pavillion where he is recruited to judge the 1934 Miss Folly Beach Beauty Pageant. Gershwin at Folly features dozens of George Gershwin's greatest melodies, including "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Fascinating Rhythm," and, of course, the immortal "Summertime." Productions of Gershwin at Folly set unbroken attendance records for Charleston Stage in 2003, 2007, and 2014.
 
Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin

Except Songs from Porgy and Bess Which Are by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin

Created by Julian Wiles  •  Book by Julian Wiles

Original Orchestrations by Christopher Donison
Additional Orchestrations and Arrangements by Sam Henderson

THE WORLDWIDE COPYRIGHTS Of THE WORKS OF GEORGE GERSHWIN AND IRA GERSHWIN FOR THIS PRESENTATION ARE LICENSED BY THE GEORGE GERSHWIN FAMILY, THE IRA AND LEONORE GERSHWIN TRUSTS, AND THE DUBOSE AND DOROTHY HEYWARD MEMORIAL FUND.

GERSHWIN is a registered trademark of Gershwin Enterprises.