If the idea of our nation’s forefathers belting out show tunes from behind their desks at Independence Hall appalls you, this isn’t the musical for you. But if notions of singing and dancing delegates, accompanied by a casually crooning Thomas Jefferson and tuneful Ben Franklin don’t turn you off, then a night out to “1776” at Ford’s Theatre is just the ticket.
Though it debuted on a Broadway stage over 40 years ago, “1776” has aged rather well, with roughly a dozen songs from Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone’s weighty script, which contains one of the longest scenes written without a note of music in the history of musical theatre. And for a show that concerns itself exclusively with the inner workings of the Second Continental Congress and more specifically, with the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, it has the odd capacity to be extraordinarily entertaining.
That isn’t to say that peeking behind the curtains of America’s history is always an amiable affair. Stone’s book can be a bit self-explanatory and apologetic for its blatant revisions to American history. There are more than a few disturbing cliches about our Founding Fathers, whether they are rooted in reality or not (most likely not), and the writers take ample artistic license with historical inaccuracies made for the mere sake of time and oversimplified staging. Sherman and Stone conceived of a carousing, heavily animated characterization for their principals — John Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin — and to that end, create what can only be described as U.S. history told through a melodic comic strip.
| Onstage |
| ‘1776’ |
| Where: Ford’s Theatre, 511 Tenth Street NW |
| When: Through May 19 |
| Info: $15 to $60; 1-800-982-2787; fords.org |
Despite its frustratingly fictitious depiction of events, “1776” does boldly address the dangerous conspiracy of declaring independence from the King’s Britain, and the inescapable birth of a document that clearly outlines the newly-formed Union’s chief disputes with the motherland.
Director Peter Flynn invokes a light, airy touch from his ample, expertly cast ensemble, and the results are humorous follies from Brooks Ashmanskas (Adams) and Christopher Bloch (Franklin), while William Diggle charms as Jefferson, the reluctant author of the Declaration. Flynn’s staging often taps into the physical politicking and posturing of the era, which is deftly highlighted by Michael Bobbitt’s witty choreography in “Cool, Cool Considerate Men,” a prim minuet led by the stately Robert Cuccioli.
Truly, there is no greater venue for this, an American theatrical treasure, than Ford’s Theatre. As the ghosts of some of our first politicians sing and dance their way through “1776,” we are reminded of the many sacrifices made — both personal and political — for the sake of these United States.
