‘1776’ @ Allen Contemporary Theatre
—Hannah Kneen
“I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace; that two are called a law firm, and that three or more become a Congress!”
These are the first lines of the award-winning (and very timely) Broadway musical 1776, which runs at Allen Contemporary Theatre right through the 250th anniversary of that famous year. With music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone, the story follows the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The musical’s protagonist is John Adams (Alex Bigus), the frustrated delegate from Massachusetts who is constantly described as “obnoxious and disliked” by his fellow members of Congress. He is the one who speaks those first lines, irked by the fact that Congress will not even discuss his proposal for independence. Fortunately, he has help in the form of one Benjamin Franklin (Russell A. Harris), who cleverly recruits another, more charismatic delegate to make the proposal.
Over the course of several months the proposal is discussed, the document is written, and congress must edit and vote to pass it. Throughout this process we, as audience members, get to know the delegates and all their foibles and fortes.
Bigus does a stellar job as Mr. Adams, who might be seen as obnoxious by his fellows but often has the audience smiling at his humor or admiring his dedication. Harris’s Benjamin Franklin is a nice counterpoint to him. Contrasting Adams’s occasional bad humor, Harris brings out Franklin’s delightful sense of mischief, and often amuses us by falling asleep in meetings when he isn’t offering sage advice.
Thomas Jefferson (Mark Hall) was a favorite of mine in this production, and mixed well with Bigus and Harris. The poor fellow spends most of the early parts of the play just wanting to go home to his wife for some…quality time together…when he gets roped into writing the Declaration. The only way Adams persuades him to work faster is by bringing his young wife Martha (Shea McMillan) to Philadelphia, which humanizes them both wonderfully–-as well as allowing for some very funny scenes.
Of course, these three men are not the only focus of the musical. From John Hancock (Gary Eoff) who has to head the discussions, to Dr. Lyman Hall (Marc Dawson) who struggles with whether or not to vote the way he believes his people would, or the way he believes would be right, to James Wilson (Ken Schwartz) in whose reluctant hands the final vote rests, every character gets their moments.
In addition, throughout the story the characters receive missives from George Washington from various locations where he is commanding the Continental Army. These range from irreverent and entertaining to genuinely heart-wrenching at times. There are little nods all through the show to the people that didn’t make history the way the Founding Fathers did—but without whom the revolution could not have kept going. Couriers, custodians, and wives are not overlooked.
The characters butt heads throughout the play, insulting each other and arguing; they hold values that differ and have nuances to their characters that cause friction. But deep down, most of them hold a certain respect for each other that resonates. One character, John Dickinson (Michael McMillan), stands against independence because he does not think it can be done. Even so, he decides to leave the Congress and join the army to defend their new country. He receives an admiring farewell, even from the people he was arguing against.
The play is brought up to the present at the end with headlines from the 1770s all the way up to recent times, which is a nice touch to top off the good work by director Eric Levy. The set design by Eddy Herring is effective. Done all in wood tones, it’s designed practically and supports a relatively large cast in a small space—with room for some simple choreography by Becca Tischer.
There were a few mic issues at the beginning but they were resolved with commendable swiftness. Greg Cotton managed the sound design and operation admirably. Costuming a cast this size can’t have been easy, and some ensembles were more effective than others, but overall it worked.
Despite any nits that might be picked, this lively show is definitely worth seeing. The subject matter is important and the handling thereof is excellent.
The people we meet in this play are very much worth knowing. In his Director’s Note, Eric Levy writes that “... for all their achievements and accolades, they were just men. They had their virtues and their vices. They could be passionate, pious, and magnanimous; they could be quarrelsome, egotistical, and rude. Or they could be all of those things. But they had one thing in common: when it mattered most, they showed up.”
The importance of which cannot be overstated–-in any time.
WHEN: June 26 - July 12, 2026
WHERE: Allen Contemporary Theatre
WEB: https://allencontemporarytheatre.net/home
