The Colorado Springs Philharmonic continues its American Soundtrack series this weekend with music from the George Gershwin folk opera “Porgy and Bess.”

“The music of George Gershwin is timeless, and it captures the spirit of America,” said Philharmonic CEO Nathan Newbrough. “We can’t think about American music without thinking of George Gershwin, and we can’t think about George Gershwin without thinking of ‘Porgy and Bess.’”

The final concert of the Philharmonic’s regular season will take place Saturday and Sunday at the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts, 190 S. Cascade Ave., and will wrap up the first season for music director Chloé Dufresne.  

Adapted in 1935 from DuBose Heyward’s 1925 novel, “Porgy and Bess” tells the tragic tale of Porgy, a Black street beggar living in Charleston, S.C., and his quest to rescue the beautiful Bess from a violent boyfriend and a predatory drug dealer. Baritone Kenneth Overton and soprano Brittany Renee will star in the title roles.

“It’s a tragic love story, but it also has a feeling of hope and resilience to it, and I think that’s what people need right now,” Newbrough said.

Newbrough pointed out the concert will feature a condensed version of the folk opera.

“The entire opera is worth hearing, but it’s quite long,” he said. “Instead, we’ll be doing a symphony of songs — the best music from the opera.”

The program will open with Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide Overture,” Cindy McTee’s “Tempus Fugit,” and Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915.”

“Chloé went into this season with two priorities: To make great music, and to feature women composers,” Newbrough said. “Cindy McTee is amazing. And the ‘Candide Overture’ is one of my favorite pieces of music, It’s infections, it’s energy-charged, and it’s the perfect way to open up the program.”

For the “Porgy and Bess” symphony, the Philharmonic will also feature a combination of several community choirs from the Colorado Springs area, Newbrough said.

“All told we’ll have about 250 choir members on stage backing up the Philharmonic, and we’re going to make a really big sound,” he said.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $57 and can be purchased at pikespeakcenter.com.