1776 at Richter Arts Center

With music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone, this Tony Award-winning musical follows John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson as they attempt to convince the Second Continental Congress to vote for independence from Britain by signing the Declaration of Independence. The production is directed by David Halliwell with music direction by Andrew Gadwah and features a live band and cast of local actors. Rob Mayette stars as John Adams, Ted Schwartz as Ben Franklin, Karl Hinger as Thomas Jefferson, and Gail Reiser as Abigail Adams, among others. The script contains challenging conversations from American history, including an intense depiction of the Atlantic slave trade, and is recommended for ages 10 and above.