Interview: Will Blum in 1776 at Paper Mill Playhouse

Paper Mill’s is producing the Tony Award-winning musical 1776 now through May 2.  The show follows the events that led up to the creation of the Declaration of Independence – capturing the heated debates, crucial decisions, and thrilling political tensions that occurred in the process of crafting the integral document. It truly is the perfect show to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary.

We had the opportunity to interview Will Blum who will be playing John Adams in 1776. He shared information about his background, careeer and the show at Paper Mill Playhouse.

Will's  credits include Broadway: Beetlejuice, Torch Song, School of Rock, The Book of Mormon, and Grease. Off-Broadway: Kowalski. National Tours: Stephen Sondheim’s Company, Cinderella, Elf: The Musical, Hair, Grease, and Seussical. Regional: The Comedy of Errors (The Old Globe), Amadeus (Cleveland Playhouse), Sunday in the Park with George (CCAE, Craig Noel Nominee), Harmony (Alliance, Ahmanson Theatre), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Paper Mill Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company), Jesus Christ Superstar (Pittsburgh CLO). As a director: the Off-Broadway premiere of Pedro Antonio Garcia’s The Witness Room (AMT), Nick Blaemire’s new musical Soon (East Village Basement). BFA - The Boston Conservatory.

Who was the very first person who recognized your talent for performing.

I started taking ballet at 3, I’d seen THE NUTCRACKER and my mother says I jumped up on stage after and started spinning around. I’m not the best dancer but I loved it. Eventually my grandparents took me to their local community theater, and I just fell in love. When I was 8, I got to play Colin in THE SECRET GARDEN (really paved the way for my bratty John Adams), and I would spend the summers with my grandparents doing shows and learning so much. 

What piece of advice to you have for people wishing to pursue a career in the theatre? 

 Never stop being curious, never stop growing. There are so many different kinds of careers in the theatre and if you get the chance to be part of a production in any way, not just performing, do it. If you can stretch beyond your gifts and learn something new, you’ll be able to appreciate the passion that goes into every aspect of a production. Then find where you belong and give it your all. There are things you just have to learn the hard way, but in the meantime, be kind and have fun. 

How does your work as a director complement your acting career?

They’re the flip sides of the same coin. Now that I’m directing more, I feel like I can be an actor only because I’m a director. I love making sense of anything. I love creating worlds out of words. “God is in the details” and as an actor it’s very fun to tailor every word to my voice and body. But as a director, I get to be everybody, live through their eyes and still get to define the details of how the audience will interpret it. Either way, my favorite thing is just to watch good theatre in any form. So if you see me forget a line it’s because I’m completely enamored by the performances of my brilliant colleagues. 

How do you like being back at Paper Mill Playhouse after being in the cast of their production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee?

 It’s such an honor. SPELLING BEE was such a special moment with a perfect cast, and it feels like Paper Mill has such a commitment to quality, then and now. I’ve been itching to get back here. 15 years is a long time, and I’ve changed a lot since then. I’m excited to reintroduce myself as John Adams.

1776 is the ideal show for our country's 250th Anniversary celebration.  How have you prepared for the role of John Adams?

 I’m gonna be honest, I am a pretty big theatre nerd, but I had never seen or heard anything from 1776 until the audition. Luckily, my agent knew this was a dream role before I did. For someone described over and over as “obnoxious and disliked”, I was starting to worry when people would tell me how great I would be in the role. But he really is just ahead of his time. Again, I don’t know what this says about me, but he just makes perfect sense. He has no subtext, he says exactly what he means so it’s been easier to memorize, but I’m still finding him in real time, sometimes my body is reacting to the story before my brain has really processed why certain emotions are coming up. The story is terrifyingly relevant, and I feel the beautiful, heavy, fragile weight of translating that into 2026, while standing firmly in 1776. 

 How does it feel to portray one of the founding fathers?

 Within my interpretation, it feels like the tragedy for John is that he’s not a God. He’s just a man. They were all just men wearing wigs making worlds out of words. So I love leaning into John’s flaws and fault lines. There is no glorification, this was a sweaty, bloody, horrible mess. For John, unimaginable compromises. He’s such an idealist, I feel the sting of embarrassment after he signs his name, apologetic to future generations, that this was the best he could do.

(Photo by Rebecca J Michelson)

Can you tell us a little about the talented team that is bringing 1776 to the Millburn stage.

 Mark is one of the best directors I’ve ever worked with, and his vision is so clear and strong and he cast each one of these characters SO well and so purposefully that I can’t imagine a better production. Nancy and I have worked together many times now and she’s just a joy to collaborate with because she can always infuse comedy while never letting go of the story. Jillian and the music team, stage management, every department is giving full commitment and passion to meet this moment with this story and I’m so proud to be a part of this beautiful production. 

Is there anything else about this exciting show you'd like to share?

I’m really not kidding, the cast is bonkers talented, and the characters are crystal clear, and the wigs and costumes are so good. Every character is so clear. And the text feels like it was written for today. We’re playing the original text and letting it speak for itself. I’m excited to see how the audience responds to it. It is very historically accurate, and the dissonance is profound and hard to stomach as Will and as John, but that’s the point. They are not Gods. 

We'd love to know about your future plans!

 I’ll be directing again, it’ll be announced soon. 

 You can follow Wll Blum on Instagram @willblum

Paper Mill Playhouse is located at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, NJ.  Tickets for 1776 are on sale now at The Official Site of Paper Mill Playhouse and by calling (973) 376-4343, or at the Box Office. 

Photo Credit: Will Blum's headshot and 1776 Artwork-Courtesy of Paper Mill Playhouse