Description: This is a rare autographed November 24th, 1964 "Showcard" playbill from the Off-Broadway revival of the MARC BLITZSTEIN musical "THE CRADLE WILL ROCK" at Theatre Four in New York City. (The production opened November 8th, 1964 and ran for 84 performances.) ..... The musical starred JERRY ORBACH (who signed the title page), LAURI PETERS, NANCY ANDREWS, HAL BUCKLEY, CLIFFORD DAVID, RITA GARDNER (also signed the title page), NICHOLS GRIMES, GORDON B. CLARKE, DEAN DITTMANN, MICKI GRANT, TED SCOTT and JOSEPH BOVA and featured BEN BRYANT, KAREN CLEARY, PETER MEERSMAN, WAYNE TUCKER and CHRIS WARFIELD ..... Historical background: Originally part of the Federal Theatre Project, The Cradle Will Rock is a Brechtian allegory of corruption and corporate greed which takes place in Steeltown, U.S.A. during a union drive. The WPA temporarily shut down the original project four days before it was to begin previews on June 16th, 1937 at New York's Maxine Elliott Theatre. The WPA claimed that due to budget cuts, it would be reorganizing all of its arts projects (WPA plays, musicals, concerts and gallery showings), putting everything on hold until after July 1st, 1937; however, many asserted that the musical had been censored because the pro-union plot was too radical. The theatre was padlocked and surrounded by security to prevent anyone from stealing the props and costumes, as these were considered U.S. Government property. Director ORSON WELLES, producer JOHN HOUSEMAN and composer MARC BLITZSTEIN, seeking a way to privately produce the show, rented out the much larger Venice Theatre and a piano just in time for the scheduled preview. The 600 audience members, who had gathered outside the Maxine Elliott Theatre for the preview, traveled 21 blocks north to the Venice Theatre, many on foot. The sold-out house grew even larger when the show's creators invited people off the street to attend for free. The musician's union refused to play for the show unless producer JOHN HOUSEMAN could provide their full salaries, and Actors' Equity Association stated that its members could not perform onstage at the new theatre without approval of the show's original producer (the Federal Government). The show's creators thus planned for Blitzstein to perform the entire musical at the piano and the cast members would sing their parts from the audience. On June 18th, 1937, HELEN DEUTSCH, press agent for the Theatre Guild, agreed to serve as the new financial backer for The Cradle Will Rock. John Houseman announced that the musical would continue to be performed with Blitzstein playing piano onstage and the cast members singing from the audience. The success of the production led ORSON WELLES and JOHN HOUSEMAN to form the MERCURY THEATRE. The Mercury Theatre's production of The Cradle Will Rock opened January 3rd, 1938 at the Windsor Theatre and ran for 108 performances. The show was recorded with the original cast and Blitzstein's piano accompaniment making it the first Original Cast recording. (Wikipedia) ..... CREDITS: Book, Music and Lyrics by MARC BLITZSTEIN; Orchestra conducted by GERSHON KINGSLEY; Musical Consultant: LEONARD BERNSTEIN; Choreographed by RHONDA LEVINE; Directed by HOWARD DA SILVA; Produced by ROBERT S. FISHKO, JOHN A. PRESCOTT and DAVID RUBINSON in association with GEORGE AVAKIAN ..... DETAILS: The eight page playbill measures 6" X 9" inches and includes full production credits, cast list, synopsis of scenes and bios of each of the actors and members of the creative team, but no cast photos ..... CONDITION: With the exception of minor edge wear, this playbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard ..... SHIPPING DISCOUNTS: Check my "Other Items" for additional rare Broadway playbills and other theatre related memorabilia. Shipping discounts are available for multiple purchases when all items are combined into a single payment. Please wait for a revised invoice before sending payment ..... THANKS !!! Pay me securely with any major credit card through PayPal!
Price: 99.99 USD
Location: Cannon Beach, Oregon
End Time: 2025-01-14T05:14:31.000Z
Shipping Cost: 4.95 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
