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1776
Original Broadway Cast
Starring William Daniels, Rex Everhart, Ron Holgate
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Book by Peter Stone
13 Tracks
Read an off-site Synopsis of the show on Musicals.Net.
In my world, 1776 is the musical that started it all. My first obsession, after one of my favorite teachers recommended the movie to me in February 2000.
OK, you're thinking, this girl is nuts. A musical about the Founding Fathers? It really does work… trust me, I saw the movie four times in one week and still liked it. (Imagine what I'd do with a real live show, where it's ten times as real and there are at least tiny differences each night…)
The OBC recording is really great, and definitely captures the musical's essence. The performances are all great. William Daniels makes a wonderful John Adams. The supporting cast is really good; but it has to be noted that this show is not at all about great voices. The vocal talent among the cast is only average; few of them have particularly great voices. If you go in for the high soprano stuff, Betty Buckley's rendition of "He Plays the Violin" will be a treat. "Cool, Considerate Men" performed by Paul Hecht (playing John Dickinson) and "Molasses to Rum" sung by Clifford David (Edward Rutledge) are also noteable as featuring some good voices. But the essence of 1776 lies mostly in the compelling story, and the humanity of the characters. The show drags a revered piece of American history off the marble pedestal we keep it on and makes it real. It makes us appreciate our Founding Fathers as real, human beings with the same problems each of us face daily. This attitude can best be described by the opening number, "Sit Down, John." The room is hot, there are flies everywhere, and nobody gives a damn about independence or anything else – they all just want to go home!
You must see this movie, BTW – it should be a requirement for all Americans, and it's definitely a requirement for all American musical theater fans! Actually, musical theater fans of any nationality, but I believe it will generally hit home the hardest with Americans. Because this show is about how we began! This is why our country is so great! And we need to remember that those people we studied in history class were not made of cardboard. They didn't just automatically do what they did; they agonized over decisions, fought with each other, and had personal lives, just like everybody else.
As for the CD, I actually don't unconditionally recommend it. I'm not sorry I bought it, but I'll be frank with you – it doesn't get played that often. But it's a great CD, and sometimes you just get that craving to minuet around the room singing, "We're the cool, cool, considerate men… our like may never never be seen again…." Or possibly you may have to cure yourself of compulsively whistling "The Egg" or "The Lees of Old Virginia" by listening to the song repeatedly.
Bottom line, it's totally up to you. If you like the show, pick it up… why not?
