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. To be true to history, the characters in the Continental Congress are white men, so unless you pull a Hamilton, 1776 has roles for only two female actors.
In addition to be personal, of course 1776 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 in this success must have been the efficient management of rehearsal time, by Director Kenn McLaughlin, a first-time director. Even more important in my view was the casting, presumably by Director Kenn McLaughlin and Artistic Director Jacqueline Hubbard. It’s common for me to write that a cast “had no weak performers”, which is also true here, but for a cast to be solid plus have several standouts — in both acting and singing! — is almost unknown in a relatively small, 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 of 1776 when I teared up. Mark Aldrich as John Adams showed great yearning that binds you to his character and forms the emotional throughline of the play. He balanced being lovably earnest with showing why John Adams annoyed people — though he perhaps took too much from William Daniels of the original Broadway cast.
Reading his biography in the program handout, 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 hang on his every word from quiet nuance to dominant barking. He also had the best posture of the show, radiating authority. Finally, Andrew Fehrenbacher was perfectly cast as Thomas Jefferson, who is written with reverence in the script. Fehrenbacher balanced portraying this “man of history” who is superhuman with making Jefferson feel like a real person. Among an already strong cast, he was the other performer who had an otherworldly “it” quality to me.
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.