Walnut Street Theatre to Stage 1776 THE MUSICAL for America's 250th Anniversary
The musical will run April through May at the historic Philadelphia theatre.
Walnut Street Theatre will conclude its 217th season with 1776, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical about the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Performances will begin with previews on April 14, open April 22, and run through May 31.
The production arrives as part of Philadelphia’s celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The musical dramatizes the debates of the Continental Congress as figures including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson struggle to secure independence.
The production will be directed by Glenn Casale, whose previous Walnut Street Theatre credits include ELF The Broadway Musical and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Music direction will be by Chris Burcheri.
Ben Dibble will star as John Adams, with Lucy Horton as Abigail Adams. Grant Struble will portray Thomas Jefferson and Kathryn Brunner will play Martha Jefferson. Scott Greer will appear as Benjamin Franklin, and Scott Langdon will portray John Dickinson.
Additional cast members include Ben Michael as Edward Rutledge, Danny Vaccaro as John Hancock, Johnny Fernandez as Charles Thomson, Jeffrey Coon as Richard Henry Lee, Bill Van Horn as Andrew McNair, and Paul L. Nolan as Stephen Hopkins. The cast also includes Andrew Leggieri, Fran Prisco, Anthony Lawton, Harley Diamond, Bradley Kieper, David Bardeen, Carl Smith, Jim Fitzpatrick, Ryan Kleinman, Peter Schmitz, Bobby Kramer, Mark Donaldson, Isaac Ripley, and Jordan Eck.
The production will mark the first time in decades that Walnut Street Theatre’s historic fire curtain will be displayed before performances. Restored in summer 2025 with support from The Arcadia Foundation, the curtain features the painting “The Bells First Note – 1753” by artist J. L. G. Ferris. Audience members will be invited to arrive early to view the curtain and take part in pre-show festivities.
The musical features music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The original Broadway production opened in 1969 and won multiple Tony Awards, including Best Musical. A film adaptation written by Stone was released in 1972.
The creative team also includes scenic designer Roman Tatarowicz, lighting designer Ryan O’Gara, sound designer Ed Chapman, Costume Designer Mary Folino, and wig designer Carissa Thorlakson.
Accessibility performances include open captioning on April 26 at 7 p.m., audio description on May 7 at 2 p.m., and an ASL-interpreted performance on May 7 at 7 p.m.
A special community performance for active military personnel, veterans, and first responders will take place May 8, supported by PNC Arts Alive. Five student matinees for ninth-grade audiences will also be presented with support from the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.
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