The Cradle Will Rock is a 1937 musical by
Marc BlitzsteinMarcus Samuel Blitzstein, better known as Marc Blitzstein was an American composer. He won national attention in 1937 when his pro-union musical The Cradle Will Rock, directed by Orson Welles, was shut down by the Works Progress Administration...
. Originally a part of the
Federal Theatre ProjectThe Federal Theatre Project was a New Deal project to fund theatre and other live artistic performances in the United States during the Great Depression. It was one of five Federal One projects sponsored by the Works Projects Administration...
, it was directed by
Orson WellesGeorge Orson Welles was an American film director, writer, actor and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television, and radio. Welles was also an accomplished magician, starring in troop variety spectacles in the war years...
, and produced by
John HousemanJohn Houseman was an English actor and film producer who became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director Orson Welles from their days in the Federal Theatre Project through to the production of Citizen Kane...
.
The musical is a Brechtian allegory of corruption and corporate greed. Set in "Steeltown, USA", it follows the efforts of Larry Foreman to
unionizeA trade union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas, such as working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labor contracts with employers...
and otherwise combat wicked businessman Mr. Mister. Blitzstein portrays a whole panoply of societal figures: Mr.
The Cradle Will Rock is a 1937 musical by
Marc BlitzsteinMarcus Samuel Blitzstein, better known as Marc Blitzstein was an American composer. He won national attention in 1937 when his pro-union musical The Cradle Will Rock, directed by Orson Welles, was shut down by the Works Progress Administration...
. Originally a part of the
Federal Theatre ProjectThe Federal Theatre Project was a New Deal project to fund theatre and other live artistic performances in the United States during the Great Depression. It was one of five Federal One projects sponsored by the Works Projects Administration...
, it was directed by
Orson WellesGeorge Orson Welles was an American film director, writer, actor and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television, and radio. Welles was also an accomplished magician, starring in troop variety spectacles in the war years...
, and produced by
John HousemanJohn Houseman was an English actor and film producer who became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director Orson Welles from their days in the Federal Theatre Project through to the production of Citizen Kane...
.
Story
The musical is a Brechtian allegory of corruption and corporate greed. Set in "Steeltown, USA", it follows the efforts of Larry Foreman to
unionizeA trade union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas, such as working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labor contracts with employers...
and otherwise combat wicked businessman Mr. Mister. Blitzstein portrays a whole panoply of societal figures: Mr. Mister's vicious, outwardly genteel philanthropic wife and spoiled children, sell-out artists, poor shopkeepers, immigrant families, a faithless priest, and an endearing prostitute named Moll. The piece is almost entirely
sung-throughSung-through refers to a musical or opera with no spoken dialogue, except perhaps for some occasional lines included in some part of a song...
, giving it many
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic qualities, although Blitzstein (as he often did, even in his full-blown operas) included popular song styles of the time.
Original production
Originally set to open at the
Maxine Elliott TheatreThe Maxine Elliott Theatre was a Broadway theater located at 109 West 39th Street in New York City. Built in 1908, it was demolished in 1960.It was named for U.S. actress Maxine Elliott, who originally owned a 50 percent interest in it, making her one of the only female theater managers...
with elaborate sets and a full orchestra, the production was shut down due to "budget cuts" within the Federal Theatre Project—though it was widely believed that this was instead because of accusations that it is pro-communism. The theatre was padlocked and surrounded by armed servicemen, ostensibly to prevent anyone from stealing props or costumes, as all of this was considered U. S. Government property. They even impounded leading man
Howard Da SilvaHoward Da Silva was an American actor.-Early life:He was born Howard Silverblatt in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Benjamin and Bertha Silverblatt. His parents were both Yiddish speaking Jews born in Russia. He had a job as a steelworker before beginning his acting career on the stage...
's toupee.
On the spur of the moment, Welles, Houseman, and Blitzstein rented the much larger
Venice TheatreVenice Theatre is a community theater in Venice, Florida.-External links:*...
and a piano, and planned for Blitzstein to sing/play/read the entire musical to the sold out house which had grown larger by inviting people off the street to attend for free. Blitzstein encouraged cast members to say their lines from the audience, to exercise their right of free speech.
Just after beginning the first number, Blitzstein was joined by Olive Stanton, the actor playing Moll, who joined in from the audience, since she (along with the rest of the cast) was forbidden by Actor's Equity to perform the piece "onstage". During the rest of the performance, various actors joined in with Blitzstein and performed the entire musical from the house. Actors sang across the theatre to one another.
Many who attended the performance, including
poetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Archibald MacLeishArchibald MacLeish was an American poet, writer and the Librarian of Congress. He is associated with the modernist school of poetry. He has received three Pulitzer Prizes for his work.-Early years:...
, thought it to be one of the most moving theatrical experiences of their lives. The success of the production led Welles and Houseman to form the
Mercury TheatreThe Mercury Theatre was a theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and John Houseman. After a string of live theatrical productions, in 1938 the Mercury Theatre progressed into their best-known period as The Mercury Theatre on the Air, a radio series that included one of the...
.
Later productions
- Following the impromptu opening and a brief run at the Venice Theatre (later renamed the New Century Theatre) in July 1937, the production reopened on January 3, 1938 at the Windsor Theatre under the auspices of the new Mercury Theatre Company. It played a total of 108 performances.
- The Cradle Will Rock was performed shortly after its initial New York production by students at Harvard, with a young Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
at the piano.
- The musical was revived on Broadway on December 26, 1947 at the Mansfield Theater (subsequently moving to the Broadway Theater) with a cast that included Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake was an American actor and singer.Born Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from the town of Recco, in the Province of Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Brooklyn College...
, Will GeerWill Geer was an American actor and social activist. His original name was William Aughe Ghere. He is remembered for his portrayal of Grandpa Zebulon Tyler Walton in the 1970s TV series, The Waltons....
, Vivian VanceVivian Vance was an American award winning television and theater actress and singer. Often referred to as “TV’s most beloved second banana,” she is best known for her role as Ethel Mertz, sidekick to Lucille Ball on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, and as Vivian Bagley on The Lucy...
and Jack AlbertsonJack Albertson was an American character actor dating to vaudeville. A comedian, dancer, singer, and musician, Albertson is perhaps best known for his roles as Manny Rosen in The Poseidon Adventure and Grandpa Joe in the 1971 version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and as Ed Brown in the...
. The production was directed by Howard Da SilvaHoward Da Silva was an American actor.-Early life:He was born Howard Silverblatt in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Benjamin and Bertha Silverblatt. His parents were both Yiddish speaking Jews born in Russia. He had a job as a steelworker before beginning his acting career on the stage...
and played 34 performances.
- Blitzstein's rarely heard orchestrations were used in a February 21, 1960 broadcast by the New York City Opera featuring Tammy Grimes
-Early life:Grimes was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, the daughter of Eola Willard , a naturalist and spiritualist, and Nicholas Luther Grimes, an innkeeper, country-club manager, and farmer. She attended high school at the then-all girls school, Beaver Country Day School, in Chestnut Hill,...
and David Atkinson.
- The show was revived Off-Broadway
Off Broadway theater is an umbrella term for a defined set of plays, musicals or revues performed in New York City. Originally referring to the location of a venue and its productions on a street intersecting Broadway in Manhattan's Theatre District, the hub of the theater industry in the United...
in 1964 in a production starring Jerry Orbach, directed by Howard Da Silva. Leonard Bernstein acted as music supervisor.
- The Acting Company
The Acting Company is a theatre company associated with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1972 by John Houseman, then a professor of acting at the Juilliard School...
presented an Off-BroadwayOff Broadway theater is an umbrella term for a defined set of plays, musicals or revues performed in New York City. Originally referring to the location of a venue and its productions on a street intersecting Broadway in Manhattan's Theatre District, the hub of the theater industry in the United...
production in 1983, directed by John Houseman and featuring a spoken introduction by Houseman.
- The show was revived once again in 1985 featuring alumni members of The Acting Company
The Acting Company is a theatre company associated with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1972 by John Houseman, then a professor of acting at the Juilliard School...
this time in Chautauqua InstitutionThe Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
and London's West End. In this production Patti LuPonePatti LuPone is an American singer and actress, perhaps best known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 musical Evita, and Rose in "Gypsy", and in her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les Misérables.-Personal life:LuPone was...
played Moll and was honored with an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
- William J. Norman has written a musical called Un-American Activities about the Orson Welles' and Blitzstein's original production. The musical features scenes from The Cradle Will Rock.
Tim Robbins film
In 1999 writer/director
Tim RobbinsTimothy Francis "Tim" Robbins is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician. He is the longtime partner of actress Susan Sarandon...
wrote a semi-fictional film recounting the original production of
The Cradle Will Rock. The film, entitled
Cradle Will RockCradle Will Rock is a 1999 drama film which chronicles the process and events that surrounded the production of the original 1937 musical The Cradle Will Rock by Marc Blitzstein...
(without the "The") blended the true history of Blitzstein's show with the creation (and subsequent destruction) of the original
Diego RiveraDiego Rivera was born Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez in Guanajuato, Gto. He was a world-famous Mexican painter, an active Communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo, 1929–1939 and 1940–1954...
mural in the lobby of
Rockefeller CenterRockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue. It was declared a National Historic...
(actually the Rivera mural was destroyed in 1933). Several of the original actors from the 1937 production were included as characters in the film, notably Olive Stanton,
John AdairJohn Adair was an American pioneer, soldier and statesman. He was the seventh governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate. Adair enlisted in the state militia and served in the Revolutionary War, where he was held captive by the British for a period of time...
, and
Will GeerWill Geer was an American actor and social activist. His original name was William Aughe Ghere. He is remembered for his portrayal of Grandpa Zebulon Tyler Walton in the 1970s TV series, The Waltons....
, while others were replaced by fictional characters. Leading man
Howard Da SilvaHoward Da Silva was an American actor.-Early life:He was born Howard Silverblatt in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Benjamin and Bertha Silverblatt. His parents were both Yiddish speaking Jews born in Russia. He had a job as a steelworker before beginning his acting career on the stage...
was replaced by the fictional "Aldo Silvano" (
John TurturroJohn Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer, and director best known for his performances in Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , and O Brother, Where Art Thou?...
). Although
Will GeerWill Geer was an American actor and social activist. His original name was William Aughe Ghere. He is remembered for his portrayal of Grandpa Zebulon Tyler Walton in the 1970s TV series, The Waltons....
played Mr. Mister in the 1937 production, for the movie he was recast in the smaller role of the Druggist and a fictional actor named "Frank Marvel" (
Barnard HughesBernard Aloysius Kiernan “Barnard” Hughes was an American actor of theater and film. Hughes became famous for a variety of roles; his most notable roles came after middle age, and he was often cast as a dithering authority figure or grandfatherly elder.-Personal life:Hughes was born in Bedford...
) portrayed Mr. Mister.
The film's climax recreates scenes from the original, legendary performance of the show, performed by veteran Broadway performers
Victoria ClarkVictoria Clark is an American musical theatre singer and actress. Clark has performed in many Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television work, and her soprano voice can be heard on numerous cast albums and several animated films...
,
Gregg EdelmanGregg Edelman is an American movie, television and theatre actor.Edelman was born in Chicago, Illinois and was trained at Northwestern University . He is married to actress Carolee Carmello, with whom he has a daughter Zoe and a son Ethan, and resides with his family in Leonia, New Jersey...
,
Audra McDonaldAudra Ann McDonald is a four-time Tony Award-winning actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett.-Biography:...
, Daniel Jenkins, Erin Hill, and Chris McKinney.
Robbins wrote a book (
Cradle Will Rock: The Movie and the Moment, published by Newmarket Press) about the original show, his adaptation, and the filming of the motion picture.
External links