Cheryse McLeod Lewis, understudy for Bess in the musical Porgy and Bess, performs a selection from the groundbreaking musical, which in 1935 made the bold casting choice of selecting only classically trained African-American singers.
On Monday, Jan. 20, Cooley Law School’s Black Law Students Association hosted the school’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day program. During the program, Cheryse McLeod Lewis sang a selection from the musical Porgy and Bess. McLeod Lewis is the understudy for Bess on the national tour of the musical, which will be performed in Lansing at the Wharton Center, March 18-23. Originally conceived by George Gershwin as an “American folk opera,” Porgy and Bess premiered in New York in the fall of 1935 and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers, which was considered a daring artistic choice at the time.
In addition to the performance, Cooley’s Lansing Student Diversity Committee coordinated a day of service for students, faculty and staff. Now in its fourth year, the service day allowed individuals to give back to the Lansing community through volunteer work. Locations for volunteering included several Volunteers of America Lansing locations; Humane Society, Grand River Avenue; Potter Park Zoo; Volunteers of America Kitchen; and Volunteers of America Warehouse.
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