Opéra de Monte-Carlo stages Porgy and Bess at Salle des Princes on 15 November at 15:00 and 21 November at 20:00 for public booking; the 19 November, 19:00 performance is by invitation from the Palace.
Opéra de Monte-Carlo’s new production of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess comes to Salle des Princes at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco for three performances: Sunday 15 November 2026 at 15:00, Thursday 19 November at 19:00 and Saturday 21 November at 20:00. The first and last are the public booking dates. The middle performance is explicitly designated by invitation from the Palace, so it should not be treated as a third public ticket opportunity.
For readers arranging a November visit, the choice is between the Sunday matinee on 15 November and the Saturday evening performance on 21 November. Journal de Monaco’s public weekly programme lists those two dates and times. Thursday 19 November at 19:00 sits in a different category: the official production schedule marks it as by invitation from the Palace.
That distinction matters because a general booking control can appear on an event page without changing the access condition attached to a particular performance. Grimaldi Forum’s event listing repeats the three-performance schedule, identifies Salle des Princes as the venue and preserves the Palace-invitation wording for 19 November. Public readers should therefore plan around 15 or 21 November and use the official booking route only to check current availability for those dates.
This is a new Opéra de Monte-Carlo production presented as part of Monaco’s National Day celebrations, rather than a touring date dropped into the calendar. Lee Reynolds conducts the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Jean-Louis Grinda directs, and the Cape Town Opera Chorus forms the principal choral body. Michael Sumuel sings Porgy and Brittany Olivia Logan sings Bess; Monaco Hebdo’s production preview independently confirms the two public performances, the invitation-only 19 November date and these central musical forces.
The official cast list sets the title couple within a broader company that includes Crown, Serena and Sporting Life. Together with the Cape Town Opera Chorus and Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, those roles shape a complete three-act ensemble production. For readers who know the work chiefly through “Summertime”, the interest lies in hearing that familiar music restored to its larger dramatic and ensemble setting.
The scale is relevant to the work itself. The Grimaldi Forum’s production record gives the premiere as Boston’s Colonial Theatre on 30 September 1935. Ninety-one years later, the Monaco staging pairs a South African opera chorus with the Principality’s orchestra for a score built around both intimate principal roles and substantial ensemble writing. That international combination gives the National Day production a clearer identity than a routine anniversary revival, without requiring predictions about how it will sound before opening.
The official production page’s running-time estimate is three hours and 35 minutes including a 25-minute interval. The interval detail makes the full time commitment easier to judge in advance. That makes the 15 November matinee the more convenient choice for a same-day cultural itinerary, while 21 November provides a Saturday evening alternative.
All three performances take place at Salle des Princes in the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, but only 15 and 21 November belong in a public ticket plan. The run opens with the Sunday matinee at 15:00; the public-facing finale follows on Saturday at 20:00.
Seat inventory and prices are live information, so neither should be treated as fixed in advance. The practical route is to consult the Opéra de Monte-Carlo production page shortly before booking. For readers choosing between the two public dates, the essential decision is simple: an afternoon performance on 15 November or an evening performance on 21 November. The 19 November performance remains a Palace invitation.
