1776
Ivoryton Playhouse
By: Karen Isaacs - Jul 08, 2026
If you think that history can be boring, then seeing the excellent Ivoryton Playhouse production of 1776 will change your mind. The Tony-Award winning musical combines music, humor in a quite accurate recounting of why we celebrate July 4th. It’s part of Ivoryton’s season honoring our 250th anniversary. The show runs through Sunday, July 28.
Ivoryton has assembled a large cast of mostly Equity performers; fitting them on the relatively small stage must have been a challenge for director Kenn McLaughlin. But they all do fit. Audiences will recognize several Ivoryton regulars.
An aside: I am always disheartened when I see a director or performer of musical theater admit to having never seen a well-known and often produced show. To me, it would be like a history teacher saying that have never learned anything about the Roman Empire. In this case, director Kenn McLaughlin confessed to that ignorance in his notes; I could not understand why he had avoided the show for nearly 50 years!
If you, like McLaughlin haven’t seen the show or the fine film version, it tells the story of the creation of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in the spring/summer of 1776. It revolves around John Adams’ determination for independence and the reluctance of the Carolinas and several other states who view the entire thing as a traitorous undertaking of the New England states.
Adams comes up with the idea of presenting a document outlining the rationale for the move and convinces (or strong arms) Thomas Jefferson (Andrew Fehrenbacher) into writing it. But even then, it wasn’t a done deal, as the delegates quibble over words and ideas, but after some tense moments, it is adopted unanimously. Since we all know we broke from England, it is an achievement that Peter Stone (who wrote the book), and Sherman Edwards (the music, lyrics and concept) build up real suspense.
The opposition is led by John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, played with aplomb by Josh Powell, and John Rutledge, one of the South Carolina delegates. Dino Nicandros plays Rutledge with the smugness of a southern aristocrat looking down on the more middle-class Adams.
Interwoven into the show are dispatches from General Washington reporting doom and gloom as he deals with untrained soldiers, severe shortages of food and supplies, and the occupation of New York by the British.
To add a little romance (and a break from the bickering of the delegates), Abigail Adams appears as she and John carry on an extensive correspondence, which reflects their deep devotion to each other. Kelly McCormick and Mark Aldrich (Adams) in these moments, including “Til Then” and “Yours, Yours, Yours.” Martha Jefferson (Emelie Latzer) arrives from Viriginia, summoned by Adams to provide inspiration to her husband. “He Plays the Violin” in which she described to Adams and Franklin how Jefferson courted her is one of the better known songs in the show. Latzer does it credit bringing vitality and exuberance to it.
Several of the delegates express their political viewpoints through song. Dickinson (Powell) with Rutledge and fellow conservatives explain their philosophy in “Cool, Cool Considerate Men” which features some fun choreography by Robert Mintz. When the film of the show was made in 1972), then President Nixon requested that producer Jack Warner remove the song. He did, but it has since been restored to the film.
The most powerful song in the show is “Momma Look Sharp” which ends the first act. The courier (Tommy Betz) is on the empty stage recalling his fallen buddy.
In act two, Rutledge calls out the hypocrisy of the north with “Molasses to Rum” which accuses them as being complicit in the slave trade. It is angry, accurate, and unsettling; Nicandros does a fine job with it. Rutledge is pushing for the removal of a paragraph in the Declaration known as the “slave clause.” In it, Jefferson condemned slavery and put some of the blame on the King. The clause was removed and the deep South voted for the declaration.
Adams and Benjamin Franklin (a terrific R. Bruce Connelly) are the central figures. Aldrich’s Adams conveys his determination and lack of tack in dealing with his fellow delegates. It is he who sets the stage during the opening number. Connelly emphasizes the comic elements in Franklin, though to be honest, the role is written that way. His humor and his interest in the ladies provide a welcome change from the seriousness of Adams and the other delegates.
Huge credit must be given to musical director Amy Jones who oversees the singing and the fine nine piece ensemble.
Yes, there are a few cast members who are weaker, and a few costumes (and particularly shoes) that seem too modern, but these are mere quibbles. Overall, it is a fine production.
I do wish that McLaughlin had retained the traditional ending – the ringing of a bell as each member signs the declaration, and a tableau with the delegates arranged as in the famous painting.
Ivoryton is to be congratulated on this production. Tickets are available at IvorytonPlayhouse.org.
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