Porgy and Bess (based on the musical)

A week later, Porgy returns—the police have failed to prove his guilt in the murder. He searches everywhere for Bess and finally learns that she has left for New York with Sporting Life. Porgy knows nothing about New York, only that the city is far to the north. The cripple cannot bear the thought of losing Bess. He climbs into his wheelchair, pulled by a goat, and sets off for the distant, fairytale New York. He is confident that he will find his beloved Bess. The opera ends with the chorus, "Oh, Lawd, I'm on my way." It sounds in the spirit of courageous, faith-filled spirituals.

All three short scenes of Act II take place in Catfish Row. The storm has died down. At the beginning of the scene, women in the square mourn the fishermen who died at sea. Sporting Life appears and hints that Crown did not die with the fishermen but was somehow saved, that he is still alive and will return for Bess, and that if a woman has two husbands, it means she has no husband at all. Offstage, when the square is empty, Bess can be heard singing a lullaby to a little orphan.

Crown appears; he makes his way to the door of Porgy's house, where he hears Bess's voice. Just as he crawls under the window, Porgy's strong hand grabs him by the throat. He stabs Crown to death, and he falls dead. Porgy joyfully exclaims to Bess: "Now you have a husband. You have Porgy!" A few hours later, a detective arrives to find Crown's killer, and after a short interrogation, he takes Porgy away to identify the body. Sporting Life has a new chance to win Bess. Intent on getting rid of both his rivals, Porgy and Crown, he speaks to Bess again, promising her the good life. He sings "There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York." He also seduces the girl with drugs—"happy powder," as he calls it. And Bess, distraught with grief, although she responds sharply, clearly shows weakness and begins to give in.

A picnic on Kittiwa Island. Sporting Life sings her song "It Ain't Necessarily So." A short, dramatic scene between Crown and Bess follows. Crown, who has been hiding from the police on the island this whole time, emerges from the undergrowth. He manages to find Bess alone, and despite her explanation that she now belongs to Porgy, he grabs her and drags her into the woods.

A week passes. Life on Catfish Row goes on as usual. Jake and the other fishermen are preparing to set out to sea. Bess has been suffering from a fever for a week since her encounter with Crown on the island. Her neighbor Serena, Porgy, and others take care of her, and eventually "Doctor Jesus" helps her. Porgy learns that she was with Crown and tells her so. But he forgives her, and she confesses that she promised to return to Crown. Bess wants to stay with Porgy, but fears her own weakness if Crown comes again. Porgy promises to protect her from Crown. The final scene takes place in Serena's room. A terrible storm has broken out, and all the superstitious neighbors are praying, as many of them are convinced that the day of judgment has arrived. Suddenly, there is a sharp knock on the door—it's Crown. He mocks the crippled Porgy and shocks everyone by claiming God is his friend. Afterward, Clara sees through the window that her husband Jake's overturned boat has been washed ashore by a powerful wave, and only Crown is ready to rush to the rescue. Leaving the baby in Bess's arms, Clara plunges into the raging storm.

The Catfish Row courtyard is depicted a month later. Despite the raging September storm, fisherman Jake is getting ready to go to sea. He mends his nets and sings "It Takes a Long Pull to Get There." Porgy now lives happily with Bess; none of the neighbors recognize the formerly sullen and gloomy invalid in the good-natured merry fellow. He sings of his happiness in a song accompanied by banjo, "I Got Plenty of Nutting." He even buys fake divorce papers between Bess and Crown for a dollar and a half from a lawyer named Frasier, who has appeared there. Since Bess and Crown were never married, Frasier demands a higher fee for his illegal services. Archdale, a white lawyer, also arrives and reprimands his colleague for selling false documents. He also brings good news about Peter, who has been released from custody. As Archdale leaves, Porgy notices a buzzard flying overhead and sings "Buzzard Song." Porgy sings that the bird is a harbinger of impending disaster, and the orchestral accompaniment conveys the general feeling of impending doom. Soon, the crowd disperses in fear. Sporting Life makes another attempt to persuade Bess to leave with him, but Porgy, who is very strong despite being crippled, manages to drive Sporting Life away. Left alone, Porgy and Bess sing their love duet "Bess, You Are My Woman Now" (the grammatical error was intentional).

A military band appears, accompanied by a crowd preparing to set off for a picnic on Kittiwa Island. At first, Bess wants to stay with Porgy, but he manages to convince her to go with everyone else, and she sets off for the island without him.

The second scene takes place in Serena's room, where they mourn Robbins, her husband, who was murdered by Crown. Serena's neighbors have now gathered to sing over her husband's body in the traditional African-American tradition and raise money for the funeral. The lament "My Man's Gone Now" is heard. Porgy enters, accompanied by Bess. Porgy also wants to contribute to Robbins's funeral and takes part in the prayers and consolations. Two white detectives appear and warn that the body must be buried no later than tomorrow, otherwise it will be given to medical students. As they leave, they take with them old Peter, a completely innocent man whom they had suspected. The undertaker enters; like the detectives, he is also white. They have not yet managed to raise the necessary money for the funeral, but he agrees to trust Serena's promise to pay later. The friends gathered there also convince him that they will raise the missing sum. The action ends with Bess singing "Oh, the train is at the station." The courtyard of Catfish Row is depicted a month later. Despite the raging September storm, fisherman Jake is getting ready to go to sea. He mends his nets and sings "It Takes a Long Pull to Get There." Porgy now lives happily with Bess; none of the neighbors recognize the formerly sullen and gloomy invalid in the good-natured merry fellow. He sings of his happiness in a song accompanied by banjo, "I Got Plenty o' Nutting." He even buys fake divorce papers from the lawyer Frazier, who has appeared there, for a dollar and a half.