Review: THE LABORS OF LIBERTY: MSMT'S 1776 CHRONICLES THE BIRTH OF OUR NATION

What better way to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence than by mounting a stirring production of the musical 1776. That is just what Maine State Music Theatre has chosen to do – the only regional company in Maine to receive the rights at present - for the Sherman Edwards 1969 show that delivers a witty, riveting, deeply human and affecting account of our Founding Fathers. Directed by Amber Mak and featuring stunning cast of twenty-eight, MSMT‘s production is one of those artistic events audiences cannot afford to miss.

Music and lyrics by one-time history teacher and jazz musician, Sherman Edwards with a book by Peter Stone, 1776 delivers an edge-of-your-seat dramatic depiction of the crisis and confrontations that led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Edwards and Stone take some liberties with the historical events for the purposes of dramatic unity and intensity. The story they recount holds the audience in  thrall from the very first moment to the last.  The characters are drawn with detailed observation, a keen sense of humor, and an appreciation for human beings who are both flawed and astounding. Edwards’ score peppers the dialogue-dense play with moments of passion, humor, argument, and emotion.

Amber Mak makes an impressive MSMT directorial debut. She keeps the action taut, the drama tightly-wired and creates a finely-tuned balance of crisis conflict, and confrontation. The pace is quick, even suspenseful at times, and moments like the first act debate evolve with a churning fluidity that suggests the birth pangs of democracy.

Christopher Page-Sanders choreographs and provides the musical staging that animates the production.  His dances are witty, elegant, and attentive to an eighteenth century aesthetic. Mak and Page-Sanders’ fresh perspectives, along with those of the two excellent female characters, round out the story and make it more subtle and complex.

Music Director Jason Wetzel [Andrew Becker, Assistant Music Director] leads the nine- piece orchestra in a spritely and articulate rendition of this unique score with its references to patriotic tunes and period music, its lyrical interludes, characterful ballads, and amusing moments.  

The visual production tackles the challenge of presenting the action largely in the confines of the Continental Congress with only a few departures from that interior locale. Scenic Designer Kevin Rupnik creates a dramatically raked stage that thrusts out to the very edge of the orchestra pit, allowing for excellent site lines and bringing immediacy to the audience and involving them in the drama. Built in dark hued wood paneling, the interior of Independence Hall is masked by two sliding walls that allow for exterior locales. Jerran Kowalski contributes to the sense of time and place with lovely video projections visible through the windows and transepts of the interior and adding a dramatic touch in the closing tableau..

Jeff Koger’s lighting design adds measurably to the overall effect, conjuring up a dream like feeling for the scenes between Abigail and John Adams, a brooding melancholy for moments like the Courier’s lament.

Shannon Slaton creates a very present soundscape which admirably supports the excellent diction of the cast, allowing the audience to understand and appreciate every word of the play.

Costume Designer Leon Dobkowski [Kevin S. Foster II, wigs] beautifully re-creates the late 18th century dress, using richly textured fabrics and a varied palette. Stage Manager Amy Bertaccini helms, the production with the firm hand.

The 1776 ensemble contains an embarrassment of riches- a demonstration of Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark’s unerring instinct for brilliant casting and of the extraordinary triple threat talent of the company. Each and every member creates a compelling character and projects a memorable presence.

John Adams is, of course, the central catalytic force in the drama and he is given a masterful, nuanced, insightful portrayal by James Patterson. In a mammoth  role that fits him like a glove, Patterson captures perfectly the idealistic integrity of the character, his obsessive, courageous commitment to his cause, his feistiness, as well as his tender side, particularly in the scenes with his wife, Abigail, and his endearing sense of irony.  To this, he adds his beautiful lyric baritone, rich, powerful, and expressive throughout his range; which makes moments like his final anguished self-evaluation, “Does Anyone Care?” unforgettable. Though 1776 is very much an ensemble drama, the action and heart of the story revolve around Adams, and Patterson’s virtuoso turn is nothing short of magnificent.

As Benjamin Franklin, John Treacy Egen captures the witty, worldly, and ultimately wise persona of Franklin, whose mischievous humor balances Adams’ serious passion. Quinn Corcoran portrays Thomas Jefferson as the sensitive, Renaissance man of Congress, a poet, a musician, a lover, and a patriot who ultimately delivers the words that let freedom sing.

Curt Dale Clark delivers a show-stopping moment in act one with Richard Henry Lee’s  rousing salute to his family, “The Lees of Virginia,” and to his exuberant embrace of the “independency” cause. Extroverted, bold, and beautifully sung and danced, Clark contributes comedic charm and some good old-fashioned musical theater glitter.

As Edward Rutledge, Matthew Hommel makes the Southern gentleman a wily, politically savvy dandy whose fiery, impassioned delivery of “Molasses to Rum” – staged chillingly as a re-enactment of a slave auction - serves to throw the Congress into its eleventh hour crisis.

On a more quietly haunting note, Jalen Kirkman delivers a heart-wrenching “Mama Look Sharp” as the Courier. As the intractable John Dickinson, Dan DeLuca gives a nuanced performance laced with sarcasm and mockery, as well as deep inner strength and conviction. David Girolmo endows John Hancock, Congress President, with the gravitas required while revealing his human side as his patience is strained through the long deliberations.

Other well-drawn characterizations include michael iannucci as the contentious loyalist George Read; Robert Anthony Jones as “Old Bacon Face” Samuel Chase, who rises to the call to independence; Joel Newsome as the conscience stricken Wilson; David Schmittou as the earnest Reverend Witherspoon; ED ROMANOFF as the rum-loving, sanguine Stephen Hopkins; George Sopko as an eager-to-please McNair; Kevin Patrick Martin as the compassionate Scotsman Colonel McKean; and Paul Castree as the Congressional Secretary, who becomes the ersatz voice of General Washington.

Completing the extraordinary male cast are Scott Cote (Lewis Morris), Glenn Anderson (Caesar Rodney), Jonathan Cobrida (Joseph Hewes), David B. Freedman (Roger Sherman), Darian Golding (Robert Livingston), and Jason Winfield (Dr. Lyman Hall), Peter Matthew Smith (Josiah Bartlett), Cameron Reagan (Leather Apron).

The two women in 1776, Alicia Kaori playing, Abigail Adams, and Liz Leclerc, as the young Martha Jefferson, bring much needed radiance, tenderness, and womanly wisdom to the drama.  Kaori’s scenes with Patterson, with lyrics taken from the Adamses’ actual letters are some of the most moving in the entire play; they serve to humanize the characters and remind the audience of the strength, support, and resilience women have contributed to our history. LeClerc, as Martha Jefferson, gets to perform one of the few typical musical theatre scenes - dancing, singing a romantic duet with her husband and flirtatiously charming Franklin and Adams. Both actresses bring lovely lyrical voices, temperament, grace, and power to their roles.

In these contentious times, 1776 stands as a testament to the hope that can also be found in history.  When men are willing to listen to each other, to engage in civil discourse even during confrontation, and to be willing to compromise to achieve goals that will benefit all, then - and only then - can great things be achieved. 1776takes the audience on a transformative journey - a tense, suspenseful, emotional, inspiring journey that ends with the birth of our nation.

In this production MSMT has surpassed its own level of consistent artistic excellence. With this revival of 1776, the theatre has created a masterpiece that defies the usual superlatives and sings with unique majesty.

 

Photographs courtesy of MSMT, Jared Morneau, photographer

1776 runs from June 24 – July 11, 2026, at MSMT’s Pickard theater on the campus of Bowdoin College, 1 Bath Rd., Brunswick, ME  www.msmt.org  207-725-8769

 

 

 

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