1776

 

 Book by: Peter Stone

Lyrics by: Sherman Edwards

Music by: Sherman Edwards

 

 

The rights:

 

http://www.mtishows.com/licensing.asp?id=000066

 A Perusal Libretto/Vocal Book is available for ordering.

 

A musical play in one act

 

Reviews by The New York Times, The Daily News,

The New York Post

 

 

On the face of it, few historical incidents seem more unlikely to spawn a Broadway musical than that solemn moment in the history of mankind, the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Yet, 1776, which opened last night at the 46th Street Theater, most handsomely demonstrated that people who merely go on the face of it are occasionally outrageously wrong. Come to think of it, that was also what the Declaration of Independence demonstrated, so there is a ready precedent at hand. 1776, which I saw at one of its critics' previews on Saturday afternoon, is a most striking, most gripping musical. I recommend it without reservation. It makes even an Englishman's heart beat a little bit faster. This is a musical with style, humanity, wit and passion. The credit for the idea of the musical belongs to Sherman Edwards, who has also contributed the music and lyrics. The book is by Peter Stone, best known as a Hollywood screenwriter. The two of them have done a fine job. The authors have really captured the Spirit of '76. The characterizations are most unusually full for a musical, and even though the outcome is never in any very serious doubt, 1776 is consistently exciting and entertaining, for Mr. Stone's book is literate, urbane and, on occasion, very amusing. The music is absolutely modern in its sound, and it is apt, convincing and enjoyable.

- Clive Barnes, The New York Times, March 17, 1969

 

       ì1776î is a well-known musical, but I am including it on my list because it is engaging and topical, topical because a constitution is being forged in Iraq with American assistance, and that assistance is comprised of the older brothers and neighbors of our students.  Tyranny still reigns over much of the earth. Like the delegates to the First Continental Congress, the delegates in Iraq hold in their hands the future of a nation, and they are persisting through the same excruciating process that defines democracy. ì1776î dramatizes an unparalleled event in American history, where compromise toward the greater good was never compromised. It stands to enlighten students about the tenets of democracy, the reasons why freedom is dear and the awesome intellect that captured its essence. Especially in the poignant reflection of the bloody struggle in Iraq,  ì1776î recalls to us the price of freedom and the indomitable spirit of freedomís pioneers.

 

       ì1776î opened in 1969, when our country was bitterly divided over involvement in Vietnam. ìDividedî arguably defines the motif of the whole world, but the torturous effort to unite persists, the reward for which is often death. ì1776î is a window into the birth of democracy, and the exacted cost. It is the depiction of sacrifice for a disparate people, for the betterment of whom legislators risked their lives. The play is a catalyst, fostering greater appreciation of our liberty, and better understanding of the document by which every one of us may prosper through perseverance.

 

       There are twenty-seven roles in this musical, and all but the nonspecific courier represent real people. ì1776î begs for interdepartmental involvement within a school. There is a wealth of biographical information available. Research will make it evident why constituents and the respective economics and traditions of their states influenced these great men.

 

       With the exception of one song, the music is not difficult to sing, and the songs are plot driven. Therefore, in casting, ability to sing does not take precedence over ability to act. Because Sherman Edwards was a history teacher with a limited musical background, he wrote an unprecedented forty-minute dramatic scene without music, so there are ìleads,î but every character is essential, significantly busy and remains on stage throughout most of the play. There are only two womenís roles, but they are important. Choreography is minimal, simple and fun. Oppressive heat and relentless light contributed to the stultifying discomfort of the Founding Fathers, and impacted temperament. In order to instill a sense of oppressive heat, actors might spend brief periods of rehearsal under a parachute, limiting fresh air. The lack of air is a metaphor for the colonyís relationship with England.

 

      

Rodney: Stop it. Stop it. This is Congress. Stop it, I say. The enemy is out there.

 

Dickenson: No, Mr. Rodney—the enemy is here!

 

Rodney: No—no—I say heís out there—England—England—closing in—cutting off our air—thereís no time—no air.

 

                                             Stone   Act II, scene 3

 

 

       As with the Iraqi constitution, the issues of economy and human rights were serious stumbling blocks in the ratification of our Declaration. The South would not ratify if slavery were abolished. In Rutledgeís words, slavery isÖ

 

 

Rutledge:  Öpart of their peculiar institution and a cherished way of life. See to your own wounds, Mr. Jefferson, for you are a practitioner, are you not?

 

Jefferson:  I have already resolved to release my slaves.

 

Rutledge:  Then I am sorry, for you have also resolved the ruination of your personal economy.

 

Adams: Economy. Always economy. Thereís more to this than a filthy purse string, Rutledge. Itís an offense against man and God.

 

                                                               Stone   Act II, scene 7

 

      

To revisit the relevance of this play, there is a measure of dark irony regarding American assistance in Iraq, in that many in Iraq are at war against America, very likely targeting people we know. Even so, this resistance illuminates the measure of sacrifice people are offering in order to satisfy the inexorable urge to be free. ì1776î constitutes an entertaining, contemporary, profound and resonant history lesson for students.