1776 at the Ivoryton Playhouse Soars on Its Casting (5 stars)
One of the most beloved musicals of all time, 1776 is sort of a prequel to Hamilton. It’s the story of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, debating whether to declare American independence from Britain. Instead of a dry listing of historic facts, author Sherman Edwards brings the story alive through music, comedy, and personal stories.
1776 is one of only a dozen musicals where every song is a hit. There’s nothing formulaic about verse and refrain to the music. When characters need to break in, they do. 1776 is a long play but the pacing is perfect, with no dull moments. The play was hilarious and had the crowd roaring at times. And we get to know the real human beings, their character, successes, and failings. Of course it also connects to the national story, of George Washington and the war against the British that began more than a year before independence was declared. It’s brave, facing and educating us about slavery, the cost of war, the conflicting motivations of landowners and the common people, and more.
Ivoryton Playhouse admirably overcame the complicated challenge of producing the show. The play has nearly 20 historic figures who need to be clearly seen and understood by the audience, not as a chorus line but as individual congressmen, sometimes with 16 actors on the small Ivoryton Playhouse stage at the same time. Scenic Design by Starlet Jacobs made it work.
And, unlike most musicals that have a main cast of 4-6 characters, some 14 performers in 1776 sing solos or duets. Wow. It is an accomplishment just to put on 1776 at all. To make it seamless, seemingly effortless — that must have taken a lot of hard work, and marks Ivoryton Playhouse once again as more than just a regional theater.
One factor must have been the efficient management of rehearsal time, by Director Kenn McLaughlin, a first-time director! You don’t get that level of polish, and find time for the cast to dig into nuances, just magically. Even more important was the casting, presumably by Director Kenn McLaughlin and Artistic Director Jacqueline Hubbard. It’s common for me to say that a cast “had no weak performers”, but for a cast to be thoroughly solid plus have several standouts — strong both in acting and singing! — is almost unknown in regional theater. It’s mind-blowing.
Impressive performers in the show include Kelly McCormick as Abigail Adams, who was the heart of the two scenes where I teared up. (It’s a shame that the characters in 1776 are mainly white men, but unless you pull a Hamilton, there you are.) Mark Aldrich as John Adams showed great yearning that binds you to his character, plus comedic timing. He balanced being lovably earnest with showing why John Adams annoyed people — though he perhaps took too much from William Daniels from the original Broadway cast instead of making it his own.
Reading his biography in the program handout, ah Joey Herr (Richard Henry Lee) makes sense to me now. With his background in theme parks and Disney World, he had courage to “go for it” with his comedic character. He stole the scene with his solo and the best physical comedy in the show. Kudos also to Tommy Betz, whose character doesn’t even have a name. He’s just the “courier” who walks in and walks out with missives. So what a surprise when he singly-handedly delivers a solo about the human cost of war, with hardly any other actor to play against. Incredible. Each of these actors’ characters basically appear out of nowhere for one scene, without much connection to the rest of the cast, and nail it.
Dino Nicandros (Edward Rutledge) was my favorite in the cast, rising even above these others. He has that fascinating “it” quality. You just hang on his every word from quiet nuance to dominant barking. Where did you find this guy? He also had the best posture of the show, radiating authority. And finally Andrew Fehrenbacher was perfectly cast as Thomas Jefferson, whom the playwright clearly revered. Fehrenbacher balanced portraying this “man of history” who is superhuman with making Jefferson feel like a real person. He was the other member of the cast who struck me as having some extraterrestrial “it” quality, notable despite the strength of the entire cast.
1776 at the Ivoryton Playhouse runs through July 26. If it’s a long drive for you, it’s absolutely worth the trip, and make it a whole weekend in Connecticut. See ivorytonplayhouse.org for 1776 or their next production, Come From Away, running August 6 to September 6.