TWITTER WATCH: Historic Photo of Controversial Composer/Lyricist Marc Blitzstein at Marie's Crisis

Musical theatre lovers all around New York know that Marie's Crisis at 59 Grove Street is the piano bar to hit for an evening full of showtunes and good company. The intimate room features a pianist leading group singalongs every night.

Its unusual name comes from the fact that Revolutionary War patriot Thomas Paine died in 1809 in a small wooden house that stood on the property where Marie's now stands. Though best known for "Common Sense," the pamphlet that gained support for American secession by spelling out the reasons for independence, he also wrote "The American Crisis," which was directed at the first swarm of bluecoat soldiers to convince them to reenlist in the army as their terms were ending.

The Marie in question is chanteuse Marie DuMont, who hosted a wide range of artists, writers, intellectuals and bohemians at her Grove Street locale during Greenwich Village's heyday.

One of them, apparently was composer/lyricist Marc Blitzstein, who became an overnight sensation in 1938 when U.S. armed guards locked up the Maxine Elliott Theatre to stop the opening night performance of his pro-labor musical, THE CRADLE WILL ROCK.

The photo below, posted by Marie's Crisis on Twitter, shows Blitzstein (right) with Bill Hewitt, described in a follow-up tweet as Blitzstein's wartime friend and occasional lover, enjoying themselves at the cozy haunt. The photo is said to be from approximately 1945. It wouldn't be until 1954 when Blitzstein would achieve even greater fame for his translation of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's THE THREEPENNY OPERA, which starred Lotte Lenya at the nearby Theatre de Lys, now the Lucille Lortel Theatre. It was Blitzstein's lyric for "The Ballad of Mack The Knife" that was popularized in recordings by Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin.

When you go to Marie's Crisis...

Sing! That's what you're there for. Most nights you'll be one voice in a big crowd singing in unison, so don't worry about how you sound.

Remember that none of the entertainment at Marie's Crisis is amplified. Keep the conversations low and give all your attention to the pianist when sitting at one of the cherished piano seats. Always be quiet when there's a solo.

The pianist gets paid only with customer tips, so be generous.

If you have a request, tip first. Don't dangle your tip in front of the pianist like a carrot on the condition that your song is played.

Happy hour begins at 5:30pm Mondays through Thursdays. The place is usually less crowded and there's a better chance of hearing your favorite obscurities.