The Cradle Will Rock
The Cradle Will Rock is one of the most famous of the Federal Theatre Project productions. Its fame is based as much on the circumstances having to do with its aborted FTP opening as with the play itself, now considered an American music theater classic. The young Marc Blitzstein (1905–1964) wrote and composed the music for Cradle, which was one of the four FTP productions directed by the even-younger Orson Welles. Its subject was the power of labor unions to achieve positive ends for their members through use of the strike. It was scheduled to open on June 16, 1937, but an administrative order issued on June 12 dictated that any production scheduled to open before July 1 was to be postponed. The production never formally opened but made a last minute—now legendary—move to a non-FTP theater, the audience in tow. Blitzstein played a piano and intended to enact all roles, only to be joined by cast members who acted their roles from their seats in the theater auditorium. The production has since been revived and was the basis for the same-named film by Tim Robbins in 1999.
<em>The Cradle Will Rock</em> is one of the most famous of the Federal Theatre Project productions. Its fame is based as much on the circumstances having to do with its aborted FTP opening as with the play itself, now considered an American music theater classic. The young Marc Blitzstein (1905–1964) wrote and composed the music for Cradle, which was one of the four FTP productions directed by the even-younger Orson Welles. Its subject was the power of labor unions to achieve positive ends for their members through use of the strike. It was scheduled to open on June 16, 1937, but an administrative order issued on June 12 dictated that any production scheduled to open before July 1 was to be postponed. The production never formally opened but made a last minute—now legendary—move to a non-FTP theater, the audience in tow. Blitzstein played a piano and intended to enact all roles, only to be joined by cast members who acted their roles from their seats in the theater auditorium. The production has since been revived and was the basis for the same-named film by Tim Robbins in 1999.