Gettysburg Community Theatre to Celebrate Declaration of Independence Anniversary with 1776 Musical

Gettysburg Community Theatre, the non-profit 501c3 organization located in the original Elks Lodge building at 49 York Street within the first block of Lincoln Square in historic downtown Gettysburg, will present 1776 the Musical, to celebrate the 240th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration Of Independence.

Performances will be held at GCT Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm July 15-31, 2016. Limited Reserved Seating Tickets are $18 plus tax/fees of the Gettysburg Borough Amusement Tax. Tickets can be ordered online at www.GettysburgCommunityTheatre.org or by calling 717-334-2692 for group sales or visit the box office during box office hours 5-7pm Mondays-Thursdays at GCT. Opening night will include a complimentary wine reception with the cast and crew after the performance.

1776 is a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The story is based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It dramatizes the efforts of John Adams to persuade his colleagues to vote for American independence and to sign the document. It premiered on Broadway in 1969, earning warm reviews, and ran for 1,217 performances. The production was nominated for five Tony Awards and won three, including the Tony Award for Best Musical. In 1972 it was made into a film adaptation and was revived on Broadway in 1997.

The show is directed by George Muschamp who has been a Theatre Professor at Gettysburg College and HACC, and performed and directed in the Central PA area and beyond for many years. Vanessa Rise is serving as the music director and piano/conductor with a live band for the historical show. The cast includes 27 adults from York and Adams County and beyond, as well as a local artist by the name of Boyd Hetrick in the walk on role of the Portrait Painter who in the show paints a portrait of Ben Franklin. Boyd is going to be sketching and painting the portrait throughout the rehearsal process and also add finishing touches actually on stage during the performances. Then at the end of the production, he will donate the portrait to GCT who will have the cast autograph a matt border and have it framed to be put in the theatre's silent auction for next year's annual gala.

GCT is fully accessible and has an ADA compliant ramp at the back of the building. Special seating is available for patrons using wheelchairs or requiring other assistance. Please inform the box office of any special needs when ordering tickets.

Coming soon from GCT: Summer Musical Theatre Day Camps weekly in June and July, GYPSY performs weekends September 16-October 2, The Rocky Horror Show LIVE performs weekends October 22-31, Shrek jr. performs weekends November 4-20 and the auditions for the all youth cast PreK-12th Grade of the musical Shrek jr. will be held on the first day of class August 17th at 6pm. Tickets and registration available online.

GCT Mission Statement: To inspire creativity and confidence, provide cultural enrichment, and instill a love of the theatre arts in young and the young at heart through quality education, training and performing experiences in musical theatre.

Pictured: During a rehearsal, Boyd Hetrick begins sketching the portrait of Ben Franklin for 1776 the musical to perform weekends July 15-31, 2016 at Gettysburg Community Theatre.