Review: Raleigh Little Theatre's 1776

1776 tells the true story of how the United States of America was born. We follow John Adams as he attempts to convince members of the Second Continental Congress to vote for American independence from the shackles of the British monarchy. In doing so, with the help of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, they all eventually sign the Declaration of Independence. This project was originally conceived by Sherman Edwards, a pop songwriter, who wrote the score while Peter Stone handled book duties. Although while it was in development, many thought a musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence was the dumbest idea ever.

Following a pair of out-of-town tryouts in New Haven, CT and Washington, D.C., 1776 opened on March 16th, 1969 at the 46th Street (now Richard Rodgers) Theatre on Broadway. When it was about to open, there was no advance, and the ticket racks were all full. The next day, there was a long line at the theatre that went all the way to eighth avenue. Suddenly, the show became an unexpected hit. The production went on to win 3 Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and closed on February 13th, 1972 after 1,217 performances. In the years since, 1776 has spawned a 1972 Academy Award nominated film adaptation that kept most of the original cast intact and 2 Broadway revivals.

Previously, I wrote a whole piece about the history of this very musical that was published on the main page of BroadwayWorld on July 4th, 2016. Nearly a decade later, I can now say that I’ve seen the show itself live for the very first time. Appropriate timing given that this year’s Fourth of July will mark America’s 250th birthday. Although the story is also very timely given everything that’s currently happening in our country. In fact, director Patrick Torres has a unique approach for Raleigh Little Theatre’s production.

John Adams and Abigail Adams are the only characters who appear as figures from 1776. Everyone else is dressed like modern day members of congress. The most recent revival from 2022 notably had a cast of all-female, non-binary, and trans performers. A chief complaint a number of critics had was that it tried to reinvent the wheel with an all-female cast, but missed the point of the original material. RLT’s production does stick with a mostly all-male cast, although they do genderbend some of the characters. Taking a page from Hamilton, this 1776 is the story of America then told by America now.

Understandably so, some may question whether or not John Adams in this particular production is supposed to be a ghost or a time traveler. If someone were to ask me that, my response would be pretty simple…it’s a musical. The genre itself is supposed to have a surrealist nature to it. After all, they tend to have a stylized look, especially when presented on a theatre stage. Not to mention that no one bursts into song and dance in real life. Although it is noted in the playbill that this production is supposed to be reflective of how John tries to bring his traditional values to the modern world. Under Torres’ direction, his take really does offer a hauntingly relevant look at how much things have or have not changed within the last 250 years.

This musical is widely remembered for Peter Stone’s book. Many have hailed it as one of the very best ever written. For various reasons, it’s easy to see why. It reminds me of Tony Kushner’s screenplay for Steven Spielberg’s 2012 biographical film, Lincoln. Mainly in how it takes a very pivotal moment in American history where everyone knows the outcome, but successfully approaches it from a very well detailed perspective. Therefore, the audience isn’t so much left in suspense as to if congress will vote for American independence, but more how. Plus, Stone also manages to pull off several cleverly humorous moments that help humanize our Founding Fathers. There’s not a whole lot of songs in 1776. In fact, it actually holds the record for having the longest break in between tunes in a musical. Following ‘The Lees of Old Virginia’ in Act I, it takes about 40 minutes or so before we get to the next song ‘But Mr. Adams.’ With that being said, Sherman Edwards’ score still plays a key role in making us sympathize with the characters.

In the coveted role of John Adams, Greg Toft gives such a commanding stage presence. The character itself may come off as “obnoxious and disliked,” but you still root for him as he tries to get congress to vote yes on American independence. He also shares heartfelt chemistry with Elizabeth Galbraith as his wife, Abigail Adams. The latter also plays Rev. Jonathan Witherspoon, who is believed to be an ancestor of actress Reese Witherspoon. As John’s closest ally, Rhonda Lemon gives a very good performance as Ben Franklin. Although Thomas Jefferson has the trickiest character arc in the whole show. He starts out as this care-free young man who just wants to go back home to Virginia to be with his wife, but is given the important, yet difficult task of writing the Declaration of Independence. Actor Bryce Nasir-Preston absolutely nails it.

Of everyone else in this large ensemble, several do have standout moments. Like Galbraith, Lillian Park also plays two roles. As Thomas’ wife, Martha Jefferson, she offers quite a lively rendition of ‘He Plays the Violin,’ which in the original production, was the very first song Betty Buckley ever sang on a Broadway stage. Following that, Park quickly manages to change costumes for her other role as Dr. Lyman Hall. Lauren Bamford as Edward Rutledge brings down the house with her big Act II solo number, ‘Molasses to Rum.’ In the role that won Ron Holgate a Tony for the original despite not having a ton of stage time, Ben Muller proves to be such a burst of energy as Richard Henry Lee. In the show’s Act I finale, ‘Momma Look Sharp,’ Atticus Blum as the message runner known as the Courier offers a very heartfelt rendition. Interestingly enough, the actor playing John Adams’ opponent in Independence Hall is named John Adams. Nonetheless, he does give a pretty solid performance overall. Ron Mitchell and Don Bean are both comedic highlights as Stephen Hopkins and Colonel Thomas McKean, respectively.

1776 is about 2 hours and 45 minutes long. Thankfully, Patrick Torres successfully keeps the pace moving well throughout. The choreography by Aya Wallace may be subtle, but it works in service of the narrative. There’s also such effective lighting design from Erin Bell. If you happen to be a novice to this musical, you should consider seeing RLT’s current production. If you also happen to be a Hamilton fan, you should be able to appreciate how this takes American history and makes it accessible to modern audiences in its own unique way.

Raleigh Little Theatre's production is currently playing in their Cantey V. Sutton Theatre through April 19th. For more information, please click here.