Posted: 7/6/26 at 1:56pm
Reel History: '1776' Is Way More Radical Than You Think! History Prof Jared Frederick Reacts!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAHEUe7UVxs
Posted: 7/6/26 at 2:08pm
If 1776 were created today, it would be denounced as woke and unpatriotic. This is a musical about America's founding that spends its last third grappling with slavery and implicating all the founders in it, while also contrasting the well-heeled, bickering, often unlikable Congress with the war being fought at their behest. The ultimate final image of the signing of the Declaration is momentous, but not necessarily triumphant.
1776 often gets unfairly contrasted with the musical it beat for the Tony, the more openly radical and critical Hair. But i think it's a rather remarkable in how it handles its subject matter.
Posted: 7/6/26 at 2:20pm
There have been so many bad community theatre and high school productions of 1776 that slow it down and play it seriously that people have started to think that's what the show is supposed to be. It's not. 1776 is an extremely satirical look at our government that was written as a protest piece during Vietnam. It is not meant to be taken at face value. Not to mention, the original production was 2 hrs 20 mins with no intermission (not the 3-hour funeral dirge that it's become). That should tell you a lot about the pacing and the tone in which it's meant to be played.
Updated On: 7/6/26 at 02:20 PM
Posted: 7/6/26 at 2:21pm
I don't at all agree it would be considered unpatriotic or woke, especially since live theater and its audience base seems to be among the most progressive branches of the arts. I guess if the movie were just being released today, Fox News would try to drum up some sort of outrage.
I think the show is fairly conservative, very Old Broadway, but of course with the proliferation of right wing media, and the internet obsession with outrage, the material could look leftist to a certain segement of the populace. But who would have ever guessed we'd live in a world where acknowledging the human abuse that was slavery or that war leaves men dead is a "woke" sentiment?
Updated On: 7/6/26 at 02:21 PM
Posted: 7/6/26 at 4:27pm
The Mark Hoebee production at Papermill is the definitive production. Absolute perfection, the design, big orchestra, classically sung, and amazing performance by Will Blum and the entire ensemble. It was magnificent, and very funny
Updated On: 7/6/26 at 04:27 PM
Posted: 7/6/26 at 6:43pm
My High School did a production of it in 1976 for the Bicentennial. I played Josiah Bartlett. That I remember, we didn't play it as a drama. Had a blast doing it.
Posted: 7/6/26 at 7:55pm
The first time I did the show I played Sherman. The second time, Adams. The show is historical fiction, but in answer to your question re: "too many liberties", I think there are just enough liberties taken to retain the essence of the men and events, yet embellish/fictionalize enough to still tell a compelling story. I look for 100% historical authenticity from Ken Burns.
I think that Dickinson suffers the most (as Jared Frederick points out) from dramatic license. I'm also happy to hear Frederick point up how much of Edwards' and Stone's work is drawn directly from letters and historical documents, like in the case of my favorite moment in the show, "Is Anybody There?".
Here are the final paragraphs from John Adams' letter to Abigail dated July 3, 1776:
"I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.
You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."
and:
"I answered that the die was now cast; I had passed the Rubicon. Swim or sink, live or die, survive or perish with my country was my unalterable determination."
-John Adams, describing a conversation with Jonathan Sewall in 1774.
PS: I think he was restricting his thoughts to the movie, but I liked Frederick's suggestion of including a Black actor in the "Molasses to Rum" scene.
I didn't agree, though that without "1776", there would be no "Hamilton". That would imply that LMM would never have read Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton, nor been inspired by its connection to the history of immigrants or hip-hop.
Updated On: 7/6/26 at 07:55 PM
Posted: 7/6/26 at 10:42pm
The one change that is--"frustrating" is the wrong word, but I can't think of a better one--is that the show centers the debate on slavery as THE issue that will decide if the colonies break from England and form a new nation, and therefore makes the omission of a phrase from the Declaration of Independence decying the enslavement of Black people as the only possible way of insuring the birth of the nation--so that that wrong can be redressed later.
Of course, the vote on independence was taken and the decision to break from of England made BEFORE the issue of slavery was discussed. I'm not exactly sorry Peter Stone did this--the show would have basically no dramatic tension otherwise. But unfortunately, it makes all those on the anti-slavery side seem far better and more concerned with the abuse of Black people in America than they were. And Jefferson's "I have resolved to free my slaves" will always imply to the historically uneducated that it was a pledge he later fulfilled--which, in fact, he didn't.
Updated On: 7/7/26 at 10:42 PM
Posted: 7/7/26 at 1:48pm
from the librettist peter stone
https://americanrepertorytheater.org/media/historical-note-by-the-authors-of-1776/
Posted: 7/7/26 at 8:23pm
As I recall when it first came out it was noted that there was a tremendous amount of research in the writing of the book and in the lyrics of the songs. I saw it right after it opened in standing room and I recall it was the 46TH Street theater. I saw I DO I DO there aa well. It ran as the show before 1776. Betty Buckleys break our performance. John Cullum after Clear Day.
Posted: 7/9/26 at 1:51am
It's a musical comedy, not a documentary. It isn't setting out to be historically accurate. Its goal is to highlight universal themes and provide light satire, not to educate.
Posted: 7/9/26 at 10:24am
When I was a kid we were shown the movie of this in at least three different school years. It was treated as a history lesson, although our teachers didn't specifically comment on anything or create lessons from the movie. I think many of us growing up in that era (1970s) did think this was at least somewhat historically accurate.
Posted: 7/9/26 at 10:52am
1776 is my favorite musical and I got to host a concert version of it for a number of years at 54 Below. The show has the trappings of a conservative musical comedy, but it was only 4 years after both the Selma to Montgomery marches and the passage of the Voting Rights act. We may view the racial politics of the show as quaint now, but that wouldn't have been the case in 1969.
In addition, Nixon (who was president when the show opened and when the film was made) pressured Jack Warner to cut Cool, Cool Considerate Men from the film because of how it painted conservatives. And Warner did, ordering the negative be shredded. They didn't shred it and the number was restored in later releases.
I'm sure Lin-Manuel Miranda would have written Hamilton even if 1776 had never been created, but Hamilton is absolutely in conversation with 1776. He would not have written the way he did without the existence of 1776.
Posted: 7/9/26 at 1:38pm
SonofRobbieJ said: "1776 is my favorite musical and I got to host a concert version of it for a number of years at 54 Below. The show has the trappings of a conservative musical comedy, but it was only 4 years after both the Selma to Montgomery marches and the passage of the Voting Rights act. We may view the racial politics of the show as quaint now, but that wouldn't have been the case in 1969.
In addition, Nixon (who was president when the show opened and when the film was made) pressured Jack Warner to cut Cool, Cool Considerate Men from the film because of how it painted conservatives. And Warner did, ordering the negative be shredded. They didn't shred it and the number was restored in later releases.
I'm sure Lin-Manuel Miranda wouldhave written Hamilton even if 1776 had never been created, but Hamilton is absolutely in conversation with 1776. He would not have written the way he did without the existence of 1776."
It was definitely considered quaint even at the time. The big Tony upset was 1776 winning best musical over Hair (Hair had opened the previous year, but too late for Tony consideration), which was widely read as the traditional, old-fashioned show winning over the new, wild, rebellious one. I love the show, too. But it was from the start a pretty old-fashioned work.
Posted: 7/9/26 at 2:12pm
I was specific in my wording. I didn't say the show wasn't considered 'quaint'...particularly as compared to Hair. I said the racial politics could be considered quaint now but would not have been seen as quaint then. And frankly, Molasses to Rum to Slaves is still an absolute gut-punch of a moment. It still feels dangerous in a way that Colored Spade from HAIR may not feel today, thought 3-5-0-0 may still shock some, especially if it's the entire cast singing it.
1776 was the most conventional of the the 4 nominated shows for Best Musical at that year's Tonys (Hair, Promises, Promises and Zorba being the others). But it also has perhaps the best book of any musical...an arc that somehow creates an insane amount of suspense even though every person in the audience knew how it would end. It really was a sensational year for musicals.
Posted: 7/9/26 at 2:38pm
SonofRobbieJ said: "I'm sure Lin-Manuel Miranda would have written Hamilton even if 1776 had never been created, but Hamilton is absolutely in conversation with 1776. He would not have written the way he did without the existence of 1776."
There are a couple of phrases that I don't understand (in bold, above). Specifically, "in conversation with" and "He would not have written the way he did". I don't know what it means that the shows might be somehow conversing with each other, or "the way" LMM wrote Hamilton.
I was always under the impression that LMM's writing was guided by his desire to incorporate the history of specific hip-hop artists and their music, as well as the importance of the contributions of immigrants to US history.
I'd be very grateful if you'd "dumb it down" for me, 'cause I want to understand. 
Posted: 7/9/26 at 4:00pm
Oh gosh! I shall endeavor to unpack my obnoxious theater-maker speak! And honestly, this is more of my argument rather than hard facts.
Miranda is not just a brilliant composer/lyricist/bookwriter, he is also a true-blue theater-nerd. His knowledge is deep and broad. What I mean by 'in conversation' is that that when he was writing In the Heights, he had a strong knowledge of that other landmark musical that (in part) explored the Latine experience - West Side Story. For decades, that was the musical that focused on the Latine immigrant experience as written by white people and with a tragic bent. In the Heights understands that story and the place it holds in musical theater history and then expands on the Latine story in New York two generations later. It has a broader view that captures joy, grief but also the ordinary dailiness that celebrates these communities. Miranda understands that a large portion of his audience will have familiarity with West Side Story that they will bring to his story. He also understands that his experience as a Latino adds something to this story that wasn't there in West Side Story.
Hamilton has actual easter eggs from 1776 in it. The quality that joevitus has identified - that the show feels conservative because it is rooted in traditional musical theater storytelling - is something Miranda recognizes and rebuts with the youthful energy and rebellious musical language of rap and hip-hop. Miranda is looking at 1776 and saying 'Actually...this is the energy of rebellion.' He doesn't discount 1776. He recognizes it for what it is and adds his point of view of what the revolution was like.
Taking a quick left turn to a more obvious example, the musical Wicked is in conversation with the 1939 film Wizard of Oz...I'd argue more so than the actual novel of Wicked. There are musical and visual references throughout and the musical plays with our knowledge of the Wizard of Oz in its retelling of the Wicked Witch.
A few summers ago, I ended up directing a play about Barbie...it was the same summer as the Barbie film. I went to the film specifically to understand the conversation around Barbie in that moment and then looking at the script I had and figuring out where we might be commenting on the film or where we might arguing against it's thesis. I would argue that it would have been irresponsible of me as a director to ignore how a Barbie play in the summer of 2024 would be affected by the film.
This is a bit rambling, but I'm hoping it makes some semblance of sense!
Posted: 7/9/26 at 4:08pm
Granted it's been a hot minute since I read it, but in LMM's annotated book/lyrics of Hamilton, he mentions moments where he paid homage or was inspired by 1776 a few times.
Posted: 7/9/26 at 5:17pm
SonofRobbieJ said: "This is a bit rambling, but I'm hoping it makes some semblance of sense!"
Thanks so very much! I appreciate your patience, and I have a much better understanding of your thoughts.
Much obliged!
Posted: 7/11/26 at 2:04am
Lin-Manuel Miranda is the first to say that '' '1776' certainly paved the way for 'Hamilton,' and he says he discovered ''1776'' while in college. Anyway, here's a fun interview Miranda did with William Daniels, the original John Adams, a decade ago about ''1776'' and ''Hamilton'' for Playbill.com ...
https://playbill.com/article/lin-manuel-miranda-and-william-daniels-talk-hamilton-1776-mr-feeny-and-more
