1776 Reviews

Js from Boston, Massachusetts

BEAUTIFUL AND MOVING

Turning old stuffy material full of self important men in wigs into something relevant and vibrant is no easy feat…but this cast and creative team have done it!

Craig Kelley from Boston, Massachusetts

WHAT A GREAT SHOW!

If I could give the show 10 stars, I would. The nuances of history that we still struggle with today pop out in every scene and every song and the gender and race bending really helped create a new line of thought not just about how America was built, and by whom, but how we might yet be able to fix the broken parts. There is more of this eagle still to be born.

Cindy Dye from Boston, Massachusetts

IT STANDS UP

As someone who saw the original cast when they were touring many years ago, and played the record until I knew every word by heart, I am happy to say that this version is amazing. Casting, costuming, set design, and choreography all combine to retell a story we know, and still give us much to contemplate that we know, but do not always pause to consider. And as a bonus, this John Adams can really sing. As ever, the standout songs are "Molasses, and Rum, and Slaves" and "Mama Look Sharp", the powerful reminders that for all that the plays libretto is full of humor, this was a time when decisions were made with serious consequences. But the humor gives us leaven, and lets us see beyond stiff images in history books to the flawed, but revolutionary people who laid the ground work for both the principles, and the deadly compromises that haunt and inspire us more than two centuries later.

Nikki from Boston, Massachusetts

ASTOUNDING. PASSIONATE. POWERFUL.

This show was the most powerful, passionate theatre work I’ve seen… maybe ever. Well done. I wish every white man in America could watch this performance and feel the passion we all felt like sitting in the audience. 10/10 cannot wait to go see it on Broadway!

CS from Boston, Massachusetts

INCREDIBLE, THOUGHT PROVOKING, A MUST SEE

Growing up watching the original 1776 to mock its gimmicky and hokey music, I never expected myself to see this production, not once but twice, leaving in tears. The reclamation of a script telling the story of this deeply flawed nation from its conception, is only now more evident in our currently divided nation. Letting the story be told by oppressed people of this country (women, non-binary, transpersons and people of color) allowed the overt patriarchal and sexual overtones of the original script to become a beautiful mockery of the patriarchal structure this nation was built upon. Stand out performances from every cast member. I have never been so moved by a performance. Thank you thank you thank you.

DG from Boston, Massachusetts

WHY?

Why change the nature of the play, by assuming that having an all female cast playing the “male characters” would make this a better play? Would bring more depth to the dialogue, more insight? It didn’t, it was gimmicky, “let’s be cool”, too much! I thought the performers were wonderful, amazing voices. I applaud all of them.

Roy from New Hampshire

APPLAUSE FOR THE ATTEMPT, BUT MORE HITS THAN MISSES AMONG THE CHANGES

It is a shame that none of the reviews at the Globe, Herald or WBUR were by people familiar with the traditional staging. Being familiar with traditional productions of "1776" myself, I applaud the attempt to give the show a new perspective. The cast was mostly excellent, with strong acting & top not voices. But, the production overall has issues. The choreography was overly literal and overdone to the point of being distracting. Some of the re-orchestration worked, much did not. The staging wasted half the depth of the stage and limited the front-of-curtain work, and also made it impossible to have things like one desk per colony, which actually matters. Other bits were just strange with no pay-off. Why use a shoe-shine stand for Hancock's chair and then make no point with it? Is the front of curtain work minstrel or vaudeville, and what's the point it is making? Overall an A for effort but if this is going to Broadway, it needs some serious work.

DJ from Boston, Massachusetts

DEMOCRACY IS MESSY BUT SHOULDN’T BE DULL

This is an honorable and occasionally touching effort, with standout performances set against a backdrop of uneven tone, tedious speech making and even preachiness. The actors are an amazing ensemble, the harmonies are often sublime and the non-traditional casting works but could work even better. One can only hope there will be much tweaking and tightening prior to Broadway. This is still just a promising tryout, not yet a show that works.

Anne from Boston, Massachusetts

JUST DOESN'T WORK

I wanted to love this, I really did. But an all female/non binary cast doesn't change the fact that this is a trite, downright cringy show with distinctly unremarkable songs. The talented cast tries hard, but it's a major fail.

Splendid from Boston, Massachusetts

PLEASE DON’T SHOUT!

Maybe it was a case of not falling for the lead character (repeatedly deemed unlikeable, obnoxious, opinionated by members of the cast) who never seemed to carry the show with the charisma the show demands. Be unlikeable, that’s fine, but I do have to believe in your mission and suspend disbelief and that requires much more nuance than the lead character delivered. A flat footed performance. There were some bright moments in the show, looking at you Shawna Hamic! However the music itself seemed dated and there were many times I wished that Lin Manual Miranda had written the score. I mean, it is from 1969. Dated musically. Check. I felt screamed at, shouted at, and while I know more American history (not growing Maybe it was a case of not falling for the lead character (repeatedly deemed unlikeable, obnoxious, opinionated by members of the cast) who never seemed to carry the show with the charisma the show demands. Be unlikeable, that’s fine, but I do have to believe in your mission and suspend disbelief and that requires much more nuance than the lead character delivered.

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