Marc Blitzstein Historic Marker
Donation protected
We've hit our goal for the marker itself but could use some extra funds for artists' fees at the dedication ceremony and for the reading at NMAJH. June 12 is coming fast, so don't be shy! Read on for details.
Restoring composer Marc Blitzstein to his rightful place in American musical history has been a goal of mine since I first learned the story of his seminal work The Cradle Will Rock over 30 years ago. Born in Philadelphia and a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Blitzstein was one of the first artists to use his craft to explore and advocate for progressive causes and social justice. His innovative work crossed musical boundaries in theatre, opera and classical. While his contemporaries Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson and his protege Leonard Bernstein have secured their places in the canon, Blitzstein has been nearly forgotten.
This project will fix that!
In December the equally Blitzstein-obsessed Terry Graboyes and I applied to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to erect a blue historic marker celebrating Blitzstein at the site of his birth in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. Our application was approved, and we must now raise the approximately $1,500 cost to manufacture and install the marker (PHMC administers the marker program but has no funds to pay for the physical markers, so private support is required).
In conjunction with the marker, we are working with InterAct Theatre Company and the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH) on a public reading of Jason Sherman's play It's All True, which dramatizes the creation of The Cradle Will Rock. The reading will feature most of the original cast of InterAct's 2001 production, including Scott Greer in his Barrymore Award-winning performance as Cradle director Orson Welles and David Bardeen as producer John Houseman.
The reading of It's All True will take place on Monday evening June 12 at NMAJH, 5th and Market Streets in Philadelphia, to mark the 80th anniversary of the notorious opening night of The Cradle Will Rock in June 1937. The dedication of Blitzstein's historic marker will take place at 11:00 a.m. that morning. Together, the reading and the dedication give us a great opportunity to tell Blitzstein's story to the media and the general public.
For every $25 you give to fund the manufacture and installation of Blitzstein's historic marker, you will receive a free ticket to the reading of It's All True on June 12 at NMAJH.
Your gift to create and install Marc Blitzstein's historic marker would mean so much to Terry and me. We hope you will join us in securing the legacy of this remarkable American artist for generations to come.
Restoring composer Marc Blitzstein to his rightful place in American musical history has been a goal of mine since I first learned the story of his seminal work The Cradle Will Rock over 30 years ago. Born in Philadelphia and a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Blitzstein was one of the first artists to use his craft to explore and advocate for progressive causes and social justice. His innovative work crossed musical boundaries in theatre, opera and classical. While his contemporaries Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson and his protege Leonard Bernstein have secured their places in the canon, Blitzstein has been nearly forgotten.
This project will fix that!
In December the equally Blitzstein-obsessed Terry Graboyes and I applied to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to erect a blue historic marker celebrating Blitzstein at the site of his birth in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. Our application was approved, and we must now raise the approximately $1,500 cost to manufacture and install the marker (PHMC administers the marker program but has no funds to pay for the physical markers, so private support is required).
In conjunction with the marker, we are working with InterAct Theatre Company and the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH) on a public reading of Jason Sherman's play It's All True, which dramatizes the creation of The Cradle Will Rock. The reading will feature most of the original cast of InterAct's 2001 production, including Scott Greer in his Barrymore Award-winning performance as Cradle director Orson Welles and David Bardeen as producer John Houseman.
The reading of It's All True will take place on Monday evening June 12 at NMAJH, 5th and Market Streets in Philadelphia, to mark the 80th anniversary of the notorious opening night of The Cradle Will Rock in June 1937. The dedication of Blitzstein's historic marker will take place at 11:00 a.m. that morning. Together, the reading and the dedication give us a great opportunity to tell Blitzstein's story to the media and the general public.
For every $25 you give to fund the manufacture and installation of Blitzstein's historic marker, you will receive a free ticket to the reading of It's All True on June 12 at NMAJH.
Your gift to create and install Marc Blitzstein's historic marker would mean so much to Terry and me. We hope you will join us in securing the legacy of this remarkable American artist for generations to come.
Organizer
Michael Norris
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA