1776.000000

Set during a “hot as hell” Philadelphia summer, 1776 brings to life the struggles that preceded the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the personalities of the men and women who made it happen. Revolutionary in its structure, 1776 features no traditional chorus and no big closing number, ending instead with the simple but powerful image of delegates being called forward to sign their names to the Declaration. Before this, though, the score “finds invigorating musical metaphors for the political process,” as The New York Times observed in its review of the Broadway revival in 1997. Musical highlights include the show opener “Sit Down, John,” in which Adams and the Congress engage in a heated debate, and “Yours, Yours, Yours,” in which John and Abigail console each other despite the long distance separating them.