This musical is best known for the amazing story of its Broadway debut – the Federal authorities, fearing it’s leftist slant, came up with a bogus reason for the show to be cancelled at one theatre, so the whole cast upped and walked down to a nearby theatre where they put on the show. The director was Orson Welles; I have no idea what involvement he had in this album recording. This is fascinating to listen to – it’s an opera musical, meaning no dialogue, set in Steeltown; just like Waiting for Lefty flashbacked from a union meeting, this flashes back from a session in night court one night. We meet prostitutes, corrupt newspaper editors, industrialists, unionists, etc. The music is played by one person on a piano (something which made it easier to move to a theatre at the last moment).
There’s no denying a leftist musical from the 30s has a certain charm, especially with the story of it’s first night performance – it is a bit clunky and dated, and could have done with more humour (there are some funny jokes there). And I guess I don’t really like musicals where it’s all done on a piano. But there are some good tunes and lines, and the title song is rousing.
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