DRNoel, I wanted to add that Marc Blitzstein's biographer Eric Gordon is a friend of mine, and thinking of either him or Blitzstein as too far right is mind-boggling. Joe McCarthy, or his current replacements in the far right regime, would be delighted to watch them, gay men and extreme liberals, fry.
It's my memory from Eric's bio, that the original dress of THREEPENNY OPERA lasted over 4 hours, leading to drastic cuts. I've always meant to see if the Kurt Weill Foundation has that original text. Also, whose translation did Kushner favor? Stefan Brecht, who went through school on the Blitzstein royalties, favors Michael Feingold's, I believe.
Also, I don't know how many DRs are recipients of the R&H newsletter HAPPY TALK, but there were some dates given for some nice future events:
In December, PBS' Great Performances will broadcast CINDERELLA (1957), hosted by Julie Andrews. Image Entertainment will release the DVD then.
This month will see the release of several musical theatre tomes:
1. BROADWAY MUSICALS: 101 GREATEST SHOWS OF ALL TIME by Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik
2. BROADWAY: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL by Laurence Maslon, a tie-in with the PBS series.