With a gorgeously melodic score by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin, this rarely seen 1933 musical farce begins when a president loses reelection and refuses to accept the results. What follows is an absurdist romp featuring a fashion-fueled revolution, a Supreme-ly high-stakes baseball game, and increasingly unhinged hijinks. Through it all, the Gershwins’ music is at its most adventurous, with rich and complex melodies, including the sweeping love song “Mine.”
Known for their work with the Marx brothers, George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, alongside the Gershwins, made history with their 1931 hit Of Thee I Sing, the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Two years later, the team reunited for this audacious sequel, which picks up on the eve of President John P. Wintergreen’s reelection.
Directed by Zack Winokur in association with Opera Philadelphia, Let ’Em Eat Cake gives audiences a rare chance to experience a daring and little-known Gershwin score—a perfect fit for the Encores! series.
