This concert program honors the inestimable legacy of the Weavers (Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert & Fred Hellerman), who burst onto the musical stage in 1950 with their two-sided hit record, Tzena Tzena/Goodnight Irene, transforming American music virtually overnight, ultimately providing the foundation upon which virtually every subsequent folk artist would build. We highlight the familiar songs and tell the remarkable behind-the-scenes story that got its start in the Dust Bowl and Depression of the ’30s, evolving through the Almanac Singers, then HUAC and the Blacklist of the ’50s. Most people know the beloved songs (e.g., Kisses Sweeter Than Wine, Wimoweh, On Top of Old Smoky, Midnight Special, This Land is Your Land, Michael Row the Boat Ashore, etc.) but few remember who it was that first popularized them. Our 2-hour program (+ intermission) provides the remedy.
