rating=4] History has a way of repeating itself. Or so they say! I do not know who “they” might be, but Broadway In Chicago now has a very historical production on the stage at its CBIC Theater. The play is “1776 The Musical” and it takes us back to that time, almost 250 years ago as the 13 Colonies discuss the proposal of John Adams to declare independence from England. It has been a long time since I have seen a production of this musical. FYI- this is not the first musical to attempt to tell this story. In 1925 Rogers & Hart wrote “Dearest Enemy” and in 1950 “Arms and The Girl” took us back in time. “1776 The Musical” hit Broadway in 1969 and there have been several incarnations over the years.The touring company that is not at the CBIC theatre will journey all over, sharing what is a totally new look at a classic story. Directed by Jeffrey L. Page ( who also did the choreography) and Diane Paulus, this production has been modernized to a new extreme. The entire cast is composed of performers who are female, trans and non-binary individuals. In other words, it is genderless or non-gender conforming! What we see on stage is a whole different “1776 The Musical”. It is the story that is told but it will appear different. I ask you to not thnk about what you see, but rather to watch and listen to the extremely talented cast as they take on these historical roles and open your minds to a new look.Bravo!
I can assure you that within minutes for most, you will not care if John Adams is being portrayed by a Black performer named Gisela Adisa ( who by the way has a great voice and stage presence and truly makes this character her own) or that Ben Franklin (deftly handled by Liz Mikel) is taller than everyone else on stage, and is also African-American. This is a dynamite cast and from start to finish, even though you know the outcome and what happens on July 4th, you will be held into the history of getting all 13 colonies to agree.
You will applaud when John Hancock ( the dynamic Oneika Phillips) signs the document. There is a remark about the size of the signature which reminds me of Stan Freberg’s “History of the United States” where he remarks that Hancock was “pretty flamboyant for an insurance salesman”.
There are some wonderful musical numbers that will grab your attention: “Momma Look Sharp” (Brooke Simpson is amazing in this number), “Yours,Yours, Yours” , “Is Anybody There” (Adisa hits notes that most people cannot even imagine).The ensemble of performers work as a unit to make the story come alive. This is history being taught in a way that one will never forget.
There is no real set as they use a curtain and lots of chairs and tables The lighting by Jen Schriever is terrific, the sound (Johnathan Deans) perfect ( I did not need hearing aids for this one), the costumes (Emilia Sosa) and the projections (David Bengoli) wonderful. Pay attention as the story ends and watch what they show. These are the things where we still need change, and the hope that our future will end some of what was started in this country well before we were a country.
“1776 The Musical” will continue at The CBIC Theatre thru March 12th with performances as follows:
Tuesdays 7:30 p.m.Wednesdays 2 p.m. and 7:30pm
Thursdays 7:30pm
Fridays 7:30pm
Saturdays 2:00pm & 8:00pm
Sundays 2:00pm & 7:30pm (no evening performance on the 12th)
The CBIC Theatre is located at 18 West Monroe Street (between State Street and Dearborn)
Show Type: Musical
To purchase tickets stop by any of the Broadway In Chicago box offices or visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “1776 The Musical”.
More Stories
“Blue” reviewed by Jacob Davis
“The Secret Garden”
“Yippee Ki Yay” The Parody of Die Hard reviewed by Frank Meccia