Sherman Edwards: 1776 - Original Broadway Cast

1776 is evidence that one can make a show about anything. The whole concept of making a musical about the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence was greeted in the late 1960s with ridicule. The show debuted on Broadway in 1969, and three years later, when its run finally ended, it was its producers who had the last laugh. In addition beat Hair in the competition for the Tony Award.

This recording, with the original Broadway cast, includes many of the same actors who went on to star in the film. For those less than familiar with the plot, it hinges on the idealism of Adams, who's trying his best to back up the American Revolution with some legislative action, and spends much of his time arguing with the Continental Congress as they inch towards Independence. It says much for the excellent book and dramatic treatment that you still hold your breath over the compromise with the Southern States about slavery and anxiously await the final vote.

Sherman Edwards' songs range from the cute 'The Egg' where the Founding Fathers argue over which bird should be the symbol of the new nation, to the poignant 'Momma Look Sharp' as a young soldier tells of his best friend being killed in battle, to the dramatic 'Molasses to Rum' as a Southerner sings about the Triangle Trade, surely one of the very best political songs in a musical, ever!