We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all plays are NOT created equal. I’ve reviewed around 10 shows at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles County and its revival of the 1969 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 1776 is the best play I’ve ever seen there. Not only owing to pleasurable songs composed by Sherman Edwards (accompanied at the La Mirada by a live eight piece orchestra conducted by Jeff Rizzo), along with enjoyable acting, but because it’s a rarity from the Great White Way: A historical, fact-based musical explicitly about US politics, insurrection and philosophy.
One of Hollywood’s precious few films about America’s Revolution, 1776 was adapted for screen in 1972 and was faithful to the Broadway musical (both scripts were penned by Peter Stone). Unfortunately the 141 minute movie fell flat and is mediocre. In seeing La Mirada Theatre’s revival I understood why: 1776’s action mainly takes place inside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall (scenic designer Stephen Gifford’s set shines). The story mostly depicts the Second Continental Congress’ deliberations as it grappled with the weighty question of whether the 13 colonies should resist the British Empire by force of arms.
Onscreen this came across as talky, with spatially confined mise-en-scène — but onstage, back on the boards where it belongs, 1776 works admirably well under Glenn Casale’s deft direction. From cracking audiences up with characters such as Richard Henry Lee’s (Michael Starr) puns and Franklin’s (Peter Van Norden) quips to crackling with tension as John Adams (Andy Umberger) debates the merits of declaring independence with foot-dragging legislators like John Dickinson (Michael Stone Forrest) to delightful dancing (also choreographed by Casale, who was Tony-nommed for another revival, Peter Pan); etc. Costume designer Shon LeBlanc and wig designer Eb Bohks’ period panache brings 18th century ambiance alive.
Set more than a year after the famous “shot heard ’round the world” was fired at Lexington and Concord, the floundering Founding Fathers try charting a course in the turbulent, unprecedented waters their tentative ship of state is setting sail on. To revolt, or not to revolt, that is the question? the Hamlet-like Continental Congress argues. As such, along with plenty of singing and dancing, 1776 is - like a Shaw or Brecht production - a play about ideas and ideals.
Most of Edwards’ (who also composed the music for the 1959 hit song “See You In September”) songs have lilting melodies, but some possess lyrics that are politically resonant in a Kurt Weill way. For instance, in Act I Dickinson and the Conservatives croon the song “Cool, Cool, Considerate Men,” making the case that white male property holders should rule the new nation being born:
“Come ye cool, cool conservative men
Our like may never ever been seen again
We have land, cash in hand
Self command, future planned
Fortune thrives, society survives
In neatly ordered lives…
“To the right, ever to the right
Never to the left, forever to the right
“Where there’s gold
A market that will hold
Tradition that is old
Reluctant to be bold…”
Sung by Edward Rutledge (Broadway veteran James Barbour), Act II’s “Molasses to Rum” is even more scathing, as the South Carolina planter threatens to thwart the Congress’ pending vote (which, according to the play, requires unanimity) on whether to break with Great Britain, unless the Declaration of Independence anti-slavery clause is withdrawn. The scene stealing Barbour — who played the title role in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway — almost steals the entire show with his earth shattering rendition of “Molasses to Rum.” Ignited by Barbour’s booming baritone, his number is arguably the play’s most powerful, if not the best song. No offense to Barbour - who alone is worth the price of admission - it’s sad to report that what may well be 1776’s most compelling song, sadly, defends slavery (although the play itself definitely doesn’t).
The musical’s sharpest politics and dialogue deals with the USA’s original (and cardinal) sin: the thorny issue of America’s enslaved people. To his credit Adams notes that the colonies’ Africans should not be subjected to the same subjugation that white settlers were resisting in their own fight against tyrannical King George. Rutledge throws the subject of slavery right back into the face of Thomas Jefferson (Caleb Shaw), the lord of Monticello who wrote the very passage that his fellow Southern aristocrat finds offensive.
Jefferson protests that he plans to free his own slaves - and like much of 1776 I wondered how historically accurate this was? (To read a recent splendid LA Times op-ed by Jefferson’s great-great-(many times removed) granddaughter Evelia Jones, see: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-jones-sally-hemings-first-lady-20190104-story.html) Certainly, Franklin’s summoning of Jefferson’s wife from Monticello so he could overcome his writer’s block and finish writing the Declaration by having sex with Martha (played by voluptuous Ellie Wyman) is historically inaccurate, as in reality she did not make the journey to Philadelphia during this period. Along with Teri Bibb — who, as Abigail Adams, performs lovely duets with husband John that illustrate their prolific correspondence — Wyman has the only female role: It seems Stone and Edwards forgot Abigail’s real life admonition to her husband: “Don’t forget the ladies.” In any case, our Founding Mothers and Fathers’ romances are inspiring.
As is this grand production of 1776, which, after all, is a dramatization that takes dramatic license — and not a documentary or history lesson per se. (There was no C-SPAN covering the Continental Congress, nor any contemporaneous written records, so the playwright embroidered history to some extent.) Embroiled as we currently are in Congressional disputes, contemporary audiences will be amused to see the Second Continental Congress’ bickering.
But today we may ponder what, so to speak, the “third act” of 1776 will be, as Trump’s presidency threatens to return our republic to the same autocratic despotism that our Founders fought against. This is a history yet to be written - by all the people, despite ethnicity, religion, class, gender or sexual preference, as all Americans, including immigrants and refugees, struggle to secure the rights and liberties promised by 1776’s anti-monarchist revolution to EVERY ONE OF US: not just white, male, straight property owners. This must-see production of 1776 ends in a stirring, spectacularly beautiful way, with Jefferson’s immortal words superimposed over our revolutionary forebears - literally, poetry in motion celebrating “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Fun Fact of the Review:
In the 1972 movie version of 1776 Ben Franklin was portrayed by Howard Da Silva — who, during the 1950s was a blacklisted actor. Much to his everlasting credit, Da Silva — who co-starred in Paul Robeson’s last American movie, 1942’s Native Land — refused to be an informer and delivered some of the most withering testimony to HUAC’s would-be King Georges that Franklin would have been proud of.
1776 is being performed through Feb. 3 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada, CA. Info: www.lamiradatheatre.com.
L.A.-based reviewer Ed Rampell co-authored The Hawaii Movie and Television Book (See: https://mutualpublishing.com/product/the-hawaii-movie-and-television-book/.)
From The Progressive Populist, February 15, 2019
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