New Gershwin Revival “Hoagie & Bess” Updates a Controversial Classic

Next week will see the curtains open on Hoagie & Bess, one of the most anticipated “new” musicals to hit local stages in years. The revival of the George Gershwin operetta Porgy & Bess at the Long Beach Terrace Theater is an attempt to address the original version’s clumsy racial stereotyping—by reimagining the story as a love affair between a woman and her sandwich.

“Even in its day, Porgy & Bess had some problematic racial issues,” says Subway Inc. Southern California Vice President of Marketing Lonie Andersen, “Many theater companies find it hard to justify staging a production of it today, even though it features some of Gershwin’s most beloved songs. That’s where Subway stepped in!”

The global sandwich chain purchased the rights to the musical from the Gershwin estate, then hired a team of songwriters, musicians, and marketing professionals to “rewrite it with a fresh, diverse 21^st century spin,” says Andersen. In fact, Andersen herself was heavily involved in the decision to change the role of Porgy from a disabled Black street beggar to Hoagie, a sentient sandwich.

“In today’s world, Porgy’s stereotypical dialect makes individuals in many demographic groups uncomfortable,” Andersen continues. “We thought, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be fun if the reason that the character speaks like that isn’t because it’s a clumsy second-hand version of Black dialect cooked up by a rich white man, but because the character is actually a sandwich that’s learning to speak!’ Once we came up with that concept, the songs rewrote themselves.”

In its final form, Hoagie & Bess is about Bess, a young woman from the Midwest who moves to an unnamed Big City and finds work at a local Subway location. While working, she encounters a sentient sandwich that begs not to be eaten. Bess takes the hoagie home and the pair soon find themselves falling in love.

“Now, the story is less about the violent, drug-addled lives of tenement-dwelling stereotypes and more about ‘Can these crazy kids work it out?’” adds Russell Eastbrooke, music/lyrical liaison for Subway, Inc. “Our test audiences really seemed to enjoy the change.”

Eastbrooke warns that Gershwin purists may bristle at some of the changes. For example, the famous opening line of “Summertime” has been changed from “Summertime, when the livin’ is easy” to “Summertime, turkey combos are half off.”

“Those kind of fun changes are what Hoagie & Bess—and Subway sandwiches—are all about,” argues Eastbrooke. He’s especially proud of the production’s “reboot” of the classic “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin” as “I Got Plenty O’ Toppins.”

Others agree. “To me, that song represents Hoagie & Bess at its best—the ideal synergy of an artist, a vision of a more inclusive America, and a fantastic corporate partner like Subway,” agrees Milindda Most, director of the Long Beach Players, who will be staging the operetta.

“We were initially lukewarm on the idea, but when Subway showed us the new storyline they’d written, all the great new songs, and the $2.85 million in funding, we couldn’t wait to get started!” says Most.

Everyone agreed that one of the hardest parts of mounting the production was casting Hoagie. The role was initially to be played by an actor in a large sandwich costume, but test audiences erupted in furious anger whenever Hoagie appeared on stage. Now, an actual Subway sandwich plays the role of Hoagie, with its voice piped in from backstage.

“It’s a new sandwich every night,” adds Andersen. “Prepared fresh by a Subway sandwich professional just moments before the show. You never know what might show up—could it be a turkey club, or will it be a meatball marinara?”

“Basically, it’s whatever the special is for that week,” admits Most. “Still, it’s a treat for everyone when the sandwich arrives before the show. We usually hold a raffle among the actors to see who gets to take the sandwich home.”

Hoagie & Bess will be at the Long Beach Terrace Theater from Friday, August 28 through Sunday, September 13, with performances at 8 pm each night. Tickets are available for $28 through the Terrace Theater Box Office, or $10 at Long Beach Subway restaurants with the purchase of any combo meal.