The Quad City Music Guild has the perfect summer offering leading into the USA’s 250th birthday anniversary: 1776. With book by Peter Stone and music/lyrics by Sherman Edwards it is a Yankee Doodle Dandy of a show that will set you up for the coming festivities. This show had its Broadway premier in 1969 winning Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book. It is known for its witty dialogue and unconventional style that humanizes the Founding Fathers and dramatizes the debates and conflicts of the Second Continental Congress leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It focuses on the political struggle rather than a traditional musical and while it does take a bit of historical liberties for dramatic effect, you’ll get the most enjoyable history lesson ever.
The show focuses on John Adams’ relentless efforts to convince the colonial representatives to the Congress to declare independence from Great Britain. Adams was a cantankerous rabble rouser from Massachusetts – spawning the musical number “For God’s Sake, John, Sit Down” – and was not well liked by his colleagues. The show opens with Adams trying to convince the divided assembly to vote for independence. Heated debate ensues ending with a resolution to have a document drafted for the delegates to vote on stating the whys and wherefores of seceding from Britain. After some back and forth over who should be assigned to the task, Thomas Jefferson is selected. This is where those historical liberties take place. Jefferson vehemently objects; he is hot to trot to get back to his wife Martha after an extended absence to attend the Congress. In fact, Jefferson was eager to write the draft and was chosen for his exceptional writing skill, his popularity (the polar opposite of Adams) and the political need to have a Virginian spearhead the cause.
As the triple threat of talented Founding Fathers are Matthew Call as John Adams, Bob Manasco as Benjamen Franklin, and Thayne Lamb as Thomas Jefferson. All of them are great in their roles. There are only two females in this cast: Hillary Erb is Martha Jefferson and Rachel Vickers is Abigail Adams. Their musical numbers of “He Plays the Violin” and “Till Then,” respectively, absolutely soar through the theater.
Freshly off his appearance in The Black Box Theatre’s production of Master Class is Brent Behrens as South Carolina’s delegate, Edward Rutledge, who delivers a skyrocketing, passionate rendition of the number “Molasses to Rum,” which is a commentary on the role of slavery in the colonies. A surprising golden egg is brought in by Michael Kelley. His role as the courier has multiple non-speaking appearances delivering missives from George Washington to the Congress, but then he surprises us in a scene where he ponders the realities of war in a beautifully rendered, poetic number, “Mama Look Sharp.”
Massive compliments go out to Colleen Houlihan for one of the very best sets I’ve seen at Music Guild as well as a well-honed stage crew that made scene changes that rivaled the Indianapolis 500 for speed.
Director Kathryn Weber has delivered a star-spangled show that you don’t want to miss.
1776 continues at Quad City Music Guild in Moline’s Prospect Park, Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 21 at 2:00 p.m. If you’re new to Music Guild, be advised that parking at the theatre is limited to the handicapped and to volunteers only. All others can catch a shuttle from the Southpark Mall’s parking lot east of Dick’s Sporting Goods.
I’m Chris Hicks…break a leg.