OPERA America - New Works Directory


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Ausrine Stundyte as Cio-Cio-San, Elizabeth Janes as Butterfly’s child and Sarah Larsen as Suzuki in Seattle Opera's production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Photo by Elise Bakketun.

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The Cradle Will Rock

Composer:	Marc Blitzstein
Librettist:	Marc Blitzstein
Other Artistic Personnel:	Orson Wells, Director Lehman Engel, Conductor John Houseman, Producer Abe Feder, Lighting Designer
Original Cast:	Marc Blitzstein Howard da Silva Olive Stanton Hiram Sherman

Premiere Date:	June 16, 1937
Producing Company:	Venice Theater

Description:	A deliberately one-dimensional propaganda piece about union workers triumphing over their corrupt boss, the work is a period piece of the Depression, the Young Communist League, and New Masses of the 1930s. The setting is Steeltown, U.S.A., during a union drive. Larry Foreman, Steeltown's heroic union organizer, defies Mr. Mister, Steeltown's owner, and the owner's corrupt Liberty Committee. The characters are drawn in bold stereotypes.
Character List (Major):	Moll Editor Daily Mr. Mister Junior Mister Sister Mister Mrs. Mister Reverend Salvation Larry Foreman Yasha Dauber President Prexy Professor Mamie Dr. Specialist
Character List (Minor):	Professor Trixie Druggist Sadie Polock Gus Polock Ella Hammer Gent Dick Cop Clerk Steve Bugs Professor Scoot Attendant
Bit Parts:	First Reporter Second Reporter
Reviews:	The New York Times, Stephen Holden, 1-29-86; The New York Times, 4-28-85; Time, 7-25-83; The New Yorker, 6-6-83; The New York Times, Marc Blitzstein, 4-12-64 (a transcript of a recorded interview); The New York Times, Nan Robertson, 7-29-83; The New York Times, Frank Rich, 5-10-83; The New York Times, Robert Leiter, 5-1-83; The New York Times, Raymond Ericson, 5-13-78; The New Yorker, Winthrop Sargeant, 2-60; The New York Times, Harold C. Schonberg, 4-20-64.
Comments:	First performance with orchestra was under Leonard Bernstein in 1947.

Length:

01:30

Total Acts:

Chorus:	No chorus
Musical Style:	Reminiscent of the work of Weill and Brecht. The songs satirize conventional musical-comedy models, but in a free-form style. A fusion of vaudeville, Gilbert and Sullivan, parodies of vintage American pop tunes, and work anthems. The songs were designed to be available to untrained actors' voices.

Contact:	Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc.
Address:	560 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10022
Phone:	212-688-2525

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