1776 to Open at Kelsey Theatre During 250th Anniversary

 As America commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Theater To Go will present the Tony Award-winning musical '1776,' Nov. 6-15, 2026, at the Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College's West Windsor Campus.

At the center of the story is the outspoken and often exasperating John Adams, who, alongside Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, must persuade a reluctant Congress to take a step that could cost them everything. Through humor, memorable music, and passionate debate, '1776' reveals the founding fathers not as distant historical figures, but as complicated, imperfect human beings confronting an extraordinary choice.

For director and producer Ruth Markoe, bringing 1776 to the stage has offered a fresh perspective on the enormous risks undertaken by the nation's founders.

'Directing 1776 has reminded me just how brave-and how risky-the decision to declare independence really was,' Markoe said. 'We look back knowing how the story ended, but these men had no such certainty.'

Originally produced on Broadway in 1969, '1776' won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and remains one of American musical theater's most distinctive works.

Following the Sunday afternoon performances on Nov. 8 and 15, audiences are invited to join acclaimed historian and author William L. "Larry" Kidder for a post-show discussion and afternoon tea. An authority on New Jersey's role in the American Revolution, Kidder is the author of Ten Crucial Days and Revolutionary Princeton and The Revolutionary History of a Free Black Man.

New Jersey cast members include Carlos Najera-Gonzalez (George Read) and Bill Kamps (Edward Rutledge) of Burlington; Alex Ridder (Courier) of Flemington; Ed Forsthoffer (John Dickinson), Ed Liu (Roger Sherman), Jim Morris (John Hancock), Shawn Simmons (Thomas Jefferson), Joey Violi (Leather Apron), and Jimmy Zimmerman (Charles Thomson) of Hamilton; Robert Brown (Dr. Josiah Bartlett) of Kingston; Stan Karuzis (Thomas McKean) and Mark Shifton (Samuel Chase) of Lawrenceville; Barry Leonard (Stephen Hopkins) and Norm Politziner (Caesar Rodney) of Monroe; John McCorry (John Witherspoon) of Princeton; Cecelia Tepping (Abigail Adams) of Princeton Junction; Lucinda Fisher (Martha Jefferson) of Stockton; Patrick Lavery (John Adams) of Titusville; and Don Hallcom (Benjamin Franklin) and Nick Kianka (Robert Livingston) of Trenton.

Pennsylvania cast members include Tammy Tuckey (Richard Henry Lee) of Ambler; Tim Costello (Lewis Morris) of Bristol; Joe Stockette (Joseph Hewes) of Langhorne; Phil Zipkin (Andrew McNair) of New Hope; Steve Wolfe (James Wilson) of Newtown; and Steve Vardy (Dr. Lyman Hall) of Yardley.

The production is directed and produced by Ruth Markoe of Lawrenceville, N.J., with musical direction by Sue denOuter of Yardley, Pa., and choreography by Haley Schmalbach of Lawrenceville.