The Roundabout Theatre Company and American Repertory Theater's co-production of 1776 completes its limited run on Broadway January 8. Previews for the Sherman Edwards-Peter Stone revival began September 16, 2022 at the American Airlines Theatre, and the revival officially opened October 6. A national tour is set to kick-off February 14 in Philadelphia.
Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus co-direct the musical about the founding fathers on the brink of signing the Declaration of Independence. The production's cast of "cool, cool considerate men" is composed entirely of performers who identify as female, transgender, and non-binary.
Kristolyn Lloyd leads the cast as John Adams, having succeeded original cast member Crystal Lucas-Perry October 25. The cast also includes Gisela Adisa as Robert Livingston, Ariella Serur as George Read, Becca Ayers as Col. Thomas McKean, Tiffani Barbour as Andrew McNair, Carolee Carmello as John Dickinson, Allyson Kaye Daniel as Abigail Adams/Rev. Jonathan Witherspoon, Nancy Anderson as Thomas Jefferson, Mehry Eslaminia as Charles Thomson, Joanna Glushak as Stephen Hopkins, Shawna Hamic as Richard Henry Lee, Eryn LeCroy as Martha Jefferson/Dr. Lyman Hall, Liz Mikel as John Hancock, Patrena Murray as Benjamin Franklin, Oneika Phillips as Joseph Hewes, Lulu Picart as Samuel Chase, Sara Porkalob as Edward Rutledge, Sushma Saha as Judge James Wilson, Brooke Simpson as Roger Sherman, Salome B. Smith as Courier, Sav Souza as Dr. Josiah Bartlett, Jill Vallery as Caesar Rodney, and Shelby Acosta, Grace Stockdale, Dawn L. Troupe, Imani Pearl Williams, and Gwynne Wood as standbys.
The musical also has set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Jen Schriever, sound design by Jonathan Deans, projection design by David Bengali, and hair and wig design by Mia Neal. Page also serves as choreographer, with music supervision by David Chase, orchestrations by John Clancy, vocal design by AnnMarie Milazzo, and music direction by Ryan Cantwell. Brisa Areli Muñoz is associate director, and Alfredo Macias is the production stage manager. Casting is by Stephen Kopel.
1776 premiered on Broadway in 1969, earning Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Featured Actor (Ronald Holgate as Richard Henry Lee), and Best Direction (Peter Hunt). Roundabout Theatre Company also produced the musical's first revival in 1997. Carmello appeared in that revival as Abigail Adams.
The Roundabout/A.R.T. production premiered May 17 at A.R.T.'s at Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, MA. The limited Broadway engagement runs through January 8, 2023, and will be followed by a national tour, kicking off February 14 in Philadelphia.