Blitzstein Resources

Books

Biographies

  • Pollack book coverPollack, Howard. Marc Blitzstein: His Life, His Work, His World (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012).
    The fullest treatment of Blitzstein’s life to date, by the biographer of George Gershwin and Aaron Copland.
  • Gordon, Eric. Mark the Music: The Life and Work of Marc Blitzstein (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1989).
  • Lehrman, Leonard J. Marc Blitzstein: A Bio-Bibliography (Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2005).
    An exhaustive catalogue of Blitzstein’s compositions and writings, with performance lists and review excerpts.
Links

Other

  • Gruen, John, Close-Up (New York: Viking, 1968).
    Includes interview with Blitzstein conducted in September 1963 (pp. 166-171).
  • Orson Welles, The Cradle Will Rock: An Original Screenplay (Santa Barbara, CA: Santa Teresa Press, 1994).
  • Cradle will rock film dvd cover imageIn 1999, the film Cradle Will Rock appeared, a fictional retelling of the story of the premiere of Blitzstein’s opera in 1937, directed by Tim Robbins. Publications in three media resulted:
    • The home video release of the film: Touchstone Home Video 18288 ISBN: 0-7888-1821-X
    • The soundtrack: RCA Victor 09026-63577-2
    • The book: Tim Robbins, Cradle Will Rock: The Movie and the Moment (New York: Newmarket Press, 2000). ISBN: 1-55704-399-X

Important collaborators or associates of Blitzstein

  • Leonard Bernstein
  • Orson Welles
  • John Houseman
  • Aaron Copland
  • Jerome Robbins
  • Frank Loesser
  • Nadia Boulanger
  • Brenda Lewis
  • Alexander Smallens
  • David Diamond

Important singers or actors that appeared in Blitzstein works

  • Will Geer (The Cradle Will Rock)
  • Carol Channing (No for an Answer)
  • Alfred Drake (The Cradle Will Rock)
  • Vivian Vance (The Cradle Will Rock)
  • Robert Lewis (directed Regina, Reuben Reuben)
  • Russell Nype (Regina)
  • Brenda Lewis (Regina)
  • William Warfield (Regina)
  • Eddie Albert (Reuben Reuben)
  • Evelyn Lear (Reuben Reuben)
  • Lotte Lenya (I’ve Got the Tune, Threepenny Opera)
  • Bea Arthur (Threepenny Opera)
  • Jo Sullivan Loesser (Threepenny Opera)
  • Charlotte Rae (Threepenny Opera)
  • Jerry Orbach (The Cradle Will Rock, Threepenny Opera)
  • Shirley Booth (Juno)
  • Melvyn Douglas (Juno)
  • Jean Stapleton (Juno)
  • Tammy Grimes (The Cradle Will Rock)
  • Jose Ferrer (Idiots First, directed Juno)
  • Patti LuPone (The Cradle Will Rock)
  • Victoria Clark (Juno)
  • Danny Burstein (The Cradle Will Rock)
  • Raúl Esparza (The Cradle Will Rock)
  • Judy Kuhn (The Cradle Will Rock)
  • Jeanine Tesori (directed The Cradle Will Rock)