* Disclaimer: On March 28th I suffered a rupture in my right bicep muscle, which has left me without the use of my right arm. I will endeavor to continue seeing and reviewing shows however the reality is that the reviews will need to be significantly shorter. For now I will attempt to provide you, faithful readers, with a few sentences that will make clear whether a show is worth your time and money. My apologies to all of the artists in front of the curtain as well as behind whose work I may not be able to comment on. Hopefully this will be a short-term accommodation, I will do everything in my power to get back to writing full reviews as soon as is humanly possible.
The Cradle Will Rock is a show I know of but had never seen, it’s sort of that kind of show. There’s an incredible true story about its staging in 1937 that Actor and Director Tim Robbins made into a film in 1999 called Cradle Will Rock, it’s a good movie and a fascinating story. You can get the general gist of what happened in An Opera Theater’s program for this show, which is packed full of captivating information and thoughtful commentary from the people behind this staging of Marc Blitzstein’s condemnation of greed and corruption. The show runs about 65 minutes and as such, it eskews subtlety being very direct and clear about its message. A message whose time has come again, not that it ever really left. The show consists of 10 scenes that play out showing us the ways in which it’s villain Mr Mister exploits, manipulates, and controls not only the people but institutions for his own personal gain. The production directed by Christina Baldwin along with Lizz Windnagel as Puppet Director/Creator is visually inventive with creative use of lighting by Claudia Errickson, and wonderfully stylized costumes by Sonya Berlovitz.
Baldwin speaks in her program notes about the importance of being silly, and it’s a lesson she has successfully instilled in her cast. Written in a very Brechtian Style, the infusion of whimsy that Baldwin brings to the piece makes it more digestible to modern audience. The cast has some familiar faces in it but also new ones. Benjamin Dutcher sounds brilliant as always but, it’s his playful, and yes, silly characterizations were the real joy of his performance. His stylistic movements as his first character Dick were a perfect match for the overcoat designed by Berlovitz for the character. Maurice Fields III is someone I had not seen before but they certainly made an impression. Fields has a wonderful tenor voice but again, it was their characterizations that really stuck out as Reverend Salvation, for example they illustrates how we got to this state we’re in with regards to the religious right. They perfectly play the gradual seduction of the man of God by the power of the dollar. It’s a wonderful cast all around and the production team as well particularly those involved with the puppeteering really make this a production stand out. What’s also intriguing about this company, An Opera Theater is their commitment to community engagement with performances being followed by round table discussions with community leaders as well as resources available in the lobby and in the program. For them, it’s not just about putting on a show it’s about engaging an audience and a community, which is a beautiful thing.
The Cradle Will Rock runs through April 21st at Heart of the Beast /Avalon Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and purchase tickets go to https://anoperatheatre.org/cradle
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