Information

Show Credits: Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind

Description: Just when you thought it was safe to vote again,  George and Ira, George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind serve up another helping of blistering political satire in this sequel to the unforgettable OF THEE I SING. The whole twisted administration is back with a vengeance in an uproarious spoof of political ideologies that makes its more light-hearted predecessor seem like a picnic!

As the Depression rages on, President John P. Wintergreen loses his re-election campaign and is reduced to running a modest clothing store with his wife Mary in New York City. When the store goes bankrupt, he hits upon a way to capitalize on the discontent of the American people by promising them a revolution with each shirt sold. His business thrives and, with the help of a revolutionary named Kruger, he retakes the White House by force!

Aiming its barbs at everything from totalitarianism to fashion shows, LET 'EM EAT CAKE is a dark, cynical yet hilarious American operetta featuring one of the Gershwins’ most ambitious, forward-looking scores, making it a natural choice for concert presentation. Perfect for politically-minded audiences, it’s enjoyable as a sequel or on its own.

Accolades/
Awards: Let 'Em Eat Cake's progenitor, Of Thee I Sing, made history by being the first musical to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Only five others have done so since.

Insight from the experts Staging Tip: Main Street, the White Hose, Union Square, the New Store (the HQ of the Blue Shirt Revolution -- looks like a department store); the Blue House (formally the White House), a ball park, a tribunal room, a public Guillotine. An imposing Guillotine that has a false blade you can control. Read our study guide for more information about the powerful history and subtext of this show. It will give you so many more ideas on how to execute its performance. If your group did not perform Of Thee I Sing first, the authors have provided you with an appendix of simple changes you can cake to the script. Even if you don't make them, most audiences wouldn't know it was a sequel unless you told them.