Watch Dee Snider Dedicate His ‘Rocktopia’ Debut to Protesting Teachers
Dee Snider kicked off his one-week run as part of the Broadway show Rocktopia on April 9, and dedicated his first performance — a rendition of the Twisted Sister classic "We're Not Gonna Take It" — to teachers who've used the song as an anthem while protesting for higher pay.
As previously reported, educators in Oklahoma were recently filmed singing "We're Not Gonna Take It" at the state capitol in the midst of an ongoing struggle to secure more funding for schools. Snider typically avoids being publicly identified with any particular political ideology, but like any artist, he enjoys his work entering the limelight in a positive way; he gave the teachers a tacit nod of approval on Twitter, noting that while "I totally support" the cause, he can't help pointing out the irony of the band's music being used in this way several decades after they were singled out by the PMRC.
As time goes on, what was once seen as dangerous and fringe works its way steadily into the mainstream — much like rock 'n' roll in general, which shares the stage with classical in Rocktopia. Snider, whose April 9-15 stint with the show was announced late last month, joins a roster of guest performers that includes Cheap Trick singer Robin Zander, who's set to take over on April 23.
In the meantime, Rocktopia audience members can expect to see something similar to the performance footage collected here — including Snider's rendition of "We're Not Gonna Take It," which leads off with his shouted exhortation that "This one's for all the teachers out there tonight!" Check it out below.