Intimate Apparel

-Next on "Great Performances," a new opera adaptation of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer-Prize-winning play "Intimate Apparel" from Lincoln Center Theater.

In 1905 New York, Esther makes her living sewing ladies' undergarments for a wide range of clients, but she dreams of more.

-♪ What do you want, Esther ♪ ♪ Don't be proud ♪ -♪ I'm a beautician ♪ ♪ Running a parlor... ♪ -35 and unmarried, romance seems out of reach until Esther begins exchanging letters with a Panama Canal laborer named George Armstrong.

When George arrives, he sets in motion a complex love story and Esther's personal journey of self-realization.

-♪ 'Cause no one does it for us ♪ -Directed by Tony-award winner Bartlett Sher and featuring a libretto by Lynn Nottage and score by Ricky Ian Gordon, "Intimate Apparel" is next.

-♪ No one does it for us ♪ ♪♪ Major funding for "Great Performances" is provided by... ...and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Step lively!

♪ ♪ Twirl!

Parade!

♪ -♪ Step lively ♪ -♪ Walk proudly!

Promenade!

♪ -♪ Walk proudly ♪ -♪ Strut blithely!

♪ ♪ Head held high!

♪ ♪ Sweep, kick, twirl, smile, cakewalk, style!

♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ There you are ♪ -♪ Yes, sir ♪ -♪ Corinna Mae ♪ -[ Laughing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Giggling ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ A man in Panama writin' me ♪ -♪ My heart ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Lovely ♪ ♪ Beautiful ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I do want it ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Lover ♪ ♪ Nice and easy ♪ ♪ Lover ♪ ♪ Please me ♪ ♪ Oh, daddy, daddy, come please me ♪ -♪ Oh, daddy, daddy, come please me ♪ -♪ Don't wanna touch the groun' ♪ -♪ Oh, daddy, daddy, come please me ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Take a seat, take a seat ♪ ♪ Take a seat, take a seat ♪ ♪ Take good care of you ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ But a lavender robe ♪ -♪ Splendid avenues ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Dear George ♪ -♪ Dear George ♪ -♪ Dear George ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ I love you ♪ -♪ Look what love done to me ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Mmm-mmm ♪ -♪ Mmm-mmm ♪ [ Both laugh ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ It was made for you ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Tell me, can there be a more glorious day?

♪ ♪ Tell me, can there be a more glorious day?

♪ ♪ Tell me, can there be a more glorious day?

♪ ♪ Tell me, can there be a more glorious day?

♪ ♪ Glorious day ♪ [ Camera shutter clicks ] [ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Mm-hmm-hmm ♪ ♪ Mm-hmm-hmm ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Shh ♪ ♪♪ -♪ Mm-hmm-hmm ♪ -♪ Mm-hmm-hmm ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ I come here so the story will be different ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ I come here ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ -♪ So the story will be different ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ -♪ George ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Next time ♪ ♪♪ -♪ No ♪ ♪ George ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Humming ] ♪♪ ♪ So soft ♪ -♪ So soft ♪ -♪ So soft ♪ -♪ Ah, perfect ♪ -[ Humming ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ You love someone ♪ -♪ I fear I love someone ♪ ♪ Didn't know until now ♪ ♪ That I love someone ♪ ♪ Yes, I love someone ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Don't wanna touch the groun' ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Hush ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ The Armstrongs ♪ -♪ The Armstrongs ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Thanked me ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Laughter ] [ Indistinct conversations ] ♪♪ -Oh!

-Here, boy.

[ Cheering ] -Let it ride!

Come on!

-No!

No, no.

♪♪ ♪♪ No!

No.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Knock on door ] -♪ Until it all gone ♪ [ Knock on door ] [ Knock on door ] -♪ Let him go ♪ [ Knock on door ] -♪ George ♪ [ Sobbing ] -[ Yells indistinctly ] -♪ Let him go ♪ ♪ Let him go ♪ ♪♪ -[ Humming ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Wait ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Clears throat ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause continue ] [ Cheers and applause continue ] -To find out more, visit... Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

[ Cheers and applause continue ] [ Cheers and applause continue ]