From today’s inbox:

When CORRUPTION comes KNOCKING, the CRADLE needs ROCKING!
The Evergreen State College presents
The Cradle Will Rock, A Political Musical Satire
March 14, 15, and 16
COM Building, Recital Hall, 7 pm.  Admission Free

Marc Blitzstein’s biggest and best-remembered hit, The Cradle Will Rock was a progressive dream when it opened in 1937, in the middle of the Great Depression. In fact, it was deemed so subversive and dangerous, it was ordered closed before opening night.

Both an attack on wealth and the political power it brings, and an tribute to labor and poor people struggling to get by, the show got a huge publicity boost from its legendary opening. The Federal Theatre production had been in rehearsal for weeks and was almost ready to go when the Works Progress Administration, the federal agency that oversaw the Federal Theatre, abruptly canceled the production and sent armed guards to keep any costumes or sets from being removed from the theater.

Furthermore, Actors’ Equity barred cast members from performing the show onstage. Undeterred, Blitzstein (Composer), John Houseman (Producer), and Orson Welles (Director) found another theater and a battered upright piano; the cast and hundreds of onlookers marched uptown with them. As Blitzstein launched into the introduction, Olive Stanton (Moll) stood up in her seat and sang the opening number from the audience. The rest of the cast followed suit, and one of the greatest stories of American theater history was born.

About six months later, Cradle finally received its Broadway premiere; it was revived several times during Blitzstein’s lifetime: In 1947 with Leonard Bernstein conducting and Alfred Drake playing Larry Foreman, and in 1960 with New York City Opera. In 2013, the Encores! Off Center festival in New York brought out a concert performance with a brilliant cast, including Danny Burstein, Raul Esparza, Anika Noni Rose, and Judy Kuhn. The work received a warm welcome both for its music and text and for its continuing social relevance. The 21st century apparently needs Blitzstein’s powerful message just as much as the 20th century did.