The Cradle Will Rock was the only Broadway musical shut down by the US Government for its subversive messages about unionization. The Hothouse Theatre of Saint Louis is presently running both the musical itself and the behind-the-scenes play, It’s all True.

This moment in American and theatre history is often overlooked. Director Scott Miller’s efforts to revive the 1937 musical in the manner its original audience witnessed it can be described as nothing less than audacious, and Miller very nearly succeeds.

As the audience enters the black box space, they are immediately transported to the Venice Theatre in uptown New York in June of 1937, where Director Orson Welles (played by SLU alum Aaron Benedict) has just led hundreds of people waiting to see The Cradle Will Rock to the Venice Theatre, because the original space has been padlocked and armed with guards by the government.

Because the actors have been barred from performing on stage, they perform their parts from the audience itself and Welles is forced to put on the show without set, costumes, props or orchestra. A piano is seated at center stage where Cradle Will Rock composer Marc Blitzstein (played by Miller) sits as the actor’s only accompaniment and a narrator for the audience.

The show itself introduces various residents of Steeltown USA, such as Harry Druggist, Reverend Salvation, and Dr. Specialist, who confess in a night court how they were dragged under the corrupt influence of factory owner Mr. Mister and his anti-union Liberty Committee. By the end of the show, the heroic Larry Foreman, under strict supervision in the court, has rallied the unions and has triumphed against evil by weakening Mr. Mister’s tight grip over the town.

Marc Blitzstein’s show itself is not remarkable writing, as it is an uneven mix of courtroom drama and melodrama. The songs do not advance the plot, and merely serve as breaks in the narrative and contribute little to the story. However, Blitzstein was aiming for a political statement, not family musical, so his music works on that level. Without the political aspect, The Cradle Will Rock would probably be a forgettable musical. But the idea of trying to recreate the illegal performance is what makes the show both fascinating and frustrating.

The staging of the show, though accurate in its staging from the audience, is difficult to watch. Because the actors play most of their actions in the house, the audience has to crane their necks and try and find the characters. This device can be very effective, as when the entire company marches loudly around the aisles, surrounding the audience with the rebellious sound of the thousands in the union.

One stand-out element of the show are the costumes of Betsy Krausnick. The actors are not dressed in the costumes of their characters, but in period street clothes, which contributes to the strong illusion of actually being an eyewitness to the 1937 premier. However, some actors play several roles and their lack of costumes can be confusing in determining their character.

The show’s ensemble has mixed strengths. Victoria Thomas’s Moll is difficult to hear and Cindy Duggan’s character seems stilted, but Thomas Conway’s deliciously diabolical kingpin Mr. Mister, Alison Helmer’s strong and touching portrayal of Ella Hammer, and Eric Little’s nice sense of comic timing as the Cop and Professor Scoot all bring vigorous life to their characters.

Despite some difficulties in audience comfort, The Cradle Will Rock does give its viewers a unique opportunity to relive a piece of history.

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