Performance Now Theatre Company to Stage 1776

The Lakewood Cultural Center and Performance Now Theatre Company will present America's Tony Award-winning musical "1776," March 18-April 3. Witness the birth of a nation as our forefathers struggle to craft the Declaration of Independence. The seminal event in American history blazes to vivid life in this most beautiful and unconventional Broadway hit.

It is a long hot summer in Philadelphia, and the Continental Congress is an exhausted, annoyed, quarrelsome collection of men at each other's throats over the burning question of independence from Great Britain.

John Adams, the passionate crusader for rebellion, races against time: If the congress does not agree to throw off the yoke of tyranny, General George Washington's painfully outnumbered army will have no ideal for which to fight. But Adams is obnoxious and disliked - no one will listen to his arguments. Can he persuade wordsmith Thomas Jefferson to write a declaration? And when it comes down to a final decision, the course of history hangs on whether sycophantic James Wilson can remain as anonymous as possible with his vote. Under these conditions, how will America ever achieve independence?

The cast includes Travis Risner as John Adams, Wes Munsil as Benjamin Franklin, Eric Crawford as Thomas Jefferson, Carolyn Lohr as Abigail Adams, and Colby Reisinger as Martha Jefferson. The production team includes Director and Choreographer Kelly Van Oosbree, Music Director Jordan Ortman, and Costumer Susan Rahmsdorf-Terry. The set design is by Andrew Bates; lighting design by Sean Mallory.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $20 and are available at 303-987-7845, Lakewood.org/LCCPresents or the Lakewood Cultural Center Box Office, 470 S. Allison Parkway.

'1776' is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, MTIShows.com.

The LCC Presents 2021-2022 season is generously supported by the SCFD, Colorado Creative Industries, National Endowment for the Arts, Sheraton Denver West and the Olive Garden at Belmar.

Performance Now Theatre Company was founded to provide professional quality family entertainment by attracting the finest talent in acting, music and theater production from across the metro Denver area while providing training opportunities for young actors. More information is available at PerformanceNow.org. Along with a grant from the SCFD, Performance Now is also supported by Little Theatre Culture Center.