1776

Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Book by Peter Stone

Opened March 16, 1969
Closed February 13, 1972 (1217 performances)
Revival opened August 14, 1997
Revival closed June 14, 1998 (333 performances)

Original Broadway Cast: William Daniels (John Adams), Howard Da Silva (Benjamin Franklin), Ken Howard (Thomas Jefferson), Clifford David (Edward Rutledge), Paul Hecht (John Dickinson), Ron Holgate (Richard Henry Lee), Betty Buckley (Martha Jefferson), Virginia Vestoff (Abigail Adams), William Duell (Andrew McNair), Henry Le Clair (Robert Livingston), David Vosburgh (Roger Sherman), Robert Gaus (Caesar Rodney), Roy Poole (Stephen Hopkins), David Ford (John Hancock), Ralston Hill (Charles Thomson), Scott Jarvis (Courier), B.J. Slater (Leather Apron), Edmund Lyndeck (Rev. John Witherspoon), Ronald Kross (Lewis Morris), Jonathan Moore (Dr. Lyman Hall), Emory Bass (James Wilson), Duane Bodin (George Read), Bruce MacKay (Col. Thomas McKean), Philip Polito (Samuel Chase), Dal Richards (Dr. Josiah Bartlett), and Charles Rule (Joseph Hewes); Directed by Peter Hunt; Musical Staging by Onna White; Musical Direction by Peter Howard; Scenic Design and Lighting Design by Jo Mielziner; Costume Design by Patricia Zipprodt; Produced by Stuart Ostrow; Played at the 46th Street Theatre, the St. James Theatre, and the Majestic Theatre

Revival Cast: Brent Spiner (John Adams), Pat Hingle (Benjamin Franklin), Paul Michael Valley (Thomas Jefferson), Gregg Edelman (Edward Rutledge), Michael Cumpsty (John Dickinson), Merwin Foard (Richard Henry Lee), Lauren Ward (Martha Jefferson), Linda Emond (Abigail Adams), MacIntyre Dixon (Andrew McNair), Daniel Marcus (Robert Livingston), John Herrera (Roger Sherman), Michael McCormick (Caesar Rodney), Tom Aldredge (Stephen Hopkins), Richard Poe (John Hancock), Guy Paul (Charles Thomson), Dashiell Eaves (Courier), Joseph Cassidy (Leather Apron), Jerry Lanning (Rev. John Witherspoon), Tom Riis Farrell (Lewis Morris), Robert Westenberg (Dr. Lyman Hall), Michael Winther (James Wilson), Kevin Ligon (George Read), Bill Nolte (Col. Thomas McKean), Ric Stoneback (Samuel Chase), Michael X. Martin (Dr. Josiah Bartlett), and David Lowenstein (Joseph Hewes); Directed by Scott Ellis; Choreographed by Kathleen Marshall; Musical Direction by Paul Gemignani; Scenic Design by Tony Walton; Costume Design by William Ivey Long; Lighting Design by Brian Nasson; Produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company; Played at Criterion Center Stage Right and the George Gershwin Theatre

Songs include: "Sit Down, John," "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve," "'Til Then," "The Lees of Old Virginia," "But, Mr. Adams," "Yours, Yours, Yours," "He Plays the Violin," "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men," "Momma Look Sharp," "The Egg," "Molasses to Rum," "Is Anybody There?," and "Finale"

1776 is the musicalization of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It primarily follows John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson as they struggle to compose the document and convince the holdouts in Congress to sign it. A successful movie was made from the musical in 1972, featuring many members of the original Broadway cast. The movie even caught the attention of Richard Nixon, who objected to the depcition of conservatives in the song "Cool, Cool Considerate Men." His objection was so pronounced that the song was cut from the movie until it was restored for a special edition decades later. The show and the movie do not seem overly political by today's standards, but it's still interesting to note what kind of impact a musical can have.

As someone who loves American history and musical theatre, 1776 has always been one of my favorites. William Daniels, known to everyone from my generation as Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World, gives a great performance as the unlikeable John Adams, and Brent Spiner, a.k.a Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, succeeds him admirably in the revival recording. The songs are good, and provide a different view of some of the best-known figures in history. It's also the rare musical that can be used as an educational tool. It can be hard to get young students interested in historical events, but putting songs around them can capture their attention. I know countless friends who watched this movie in their junior high history classes. The creators of the show were smart in making a musical out of one of the most important events in our country's history, so 1776 will always be relevant. Next up, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. See you then.