Revivals never go out of style on Broadway, and the touring production of “1776” glides into the Buell Theatre this week on the heels of Denver stops for “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Fiddler on the Roof” — 20th century edifices whose renewal proves their sturdiness.
Based on the 1969 Tony-winner, the latest version of “1776,” which runs through April 2 at the Buell, feels just as socially relevant. It swaps its traditionally all-white, nearly all-male cast with a diverse group of female, transgender and nonbinary actors, whose multiracial presence relentlessly interrogates the ways in which they were cut out of the process of this country’s founding.
In the hands of directors Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus, it’s an experience that is both edifying and enormously resonant. That Sherman Edwards’ songs and Peter Stone’s book remain completely intact is a double-edged sword, and the presentation choices don’t always land.
The musical follows John Adams’ attempts to unite representatives of the British colonies in rebellion during the first Continental Congress. The story traces the crafting and approval of the Declaration of Independence, and for younger viewers it may well be a history lesson (however massaged) as much as a peek inside the sweaty wrangling that produced it.
Fans of the original musical, the 1972 movie or even the 1997 revival know it’s not the dry run it may sound like. Scenes swirl with saucy humor, bursts of melody and tender romance amid the procedural votes, which are anything but mannered (and yet, unlike our current Congress, still functional and civic-minded).
The actors have been allowed in this revival to find a balance of playing their characters and being themselves, sporting spare, evocative costumes and accents, but also their own hairstyles and earrings, if they wish. Size, age, gender and skin color are no longer automatic descriptors.
Gisela Adisa’s John Adams anchors the production ably, although the opening number “Sit Down, John” casts the character as obnoxious in the eyes of others, which is a hard sell in light of Adisa’s skillful and measured performance. Liz Mikel, as a cartoony, cranky and nap-prone Benjamin Franklin, and a quietly powerful Nancy Anderson as Thomas Jefferson, are reluctant sidekicks.
The production felt too loose during stretches of its Tuesday opening night, starting late and suffering the occasional issue of lines needing to be repeated because a microphone briefly cut out (including at the very top). Some of that looseness feels baked in by scenic designer Scott Pask and production designer David Bengali, with a horizontal, shower curtain-like sliding back and forth to reveal a handful of spare Philadelphia settings during the sweltering summer of 1776.
While the curtain offers a film strip-like canvas, it also looks hokey as it bounces back and forth, the cast seemingly required to cinch it from behind as scenes rush forward. Big, bold personalities help it disappear, of course. Shawna Hamic relishes her brassy take on Virginia’s Richard Henry Lee, leaning into a delicious Southern accent with a fleck of Mae West. That’s in contrast to Joanna Glushak’s imperious John Dickinson of Virginia, whose loyalty to England is a steadfast obstacle to signing the Declaration.
A versatile Connor Lynn plays both Martha Jefferson and the circumspect Georgia rep Dr. Lyman Hall, expertly disappearing into each role. Dialogue is generous and shared, as with characters such as Scottish-accented Col. Thomas McKean (Dawn Cantwell) and congressional president John Hancock (Oneika Phillips). Phillips plays Hancock as more a referee than a politician, although her godly voice and presence would have been better suited for a more active role.
The town-drunk jokes that surround gray-haired rummy Stephen Hopkins show the book’s age. Yes, the musical was and still is progressive in many ways. Attitudes about binge drinking and addiction have evolved considerably over the last five decades. But you wouldn’t know it from this — despite every other interpretation feeling contemporary. Same with Adams and Franklin drooling over a sexualized Martha Jefferson, although the commentary is a bit easier to see here.
The harrowing, tragic “Molasses to Rum” remains a landmark. It’s sung with icy clarity by Kassandra Haddock (as Edward Rutledge) and feels more present than ever in underlining our original sin of building the country on the backs of African slaves, and our continuing role in keeping racism alive. One needn’t be mired in toxic social media battles over what “woke” means to see the direct line to the present. But it arrives too late in the 2 hour, 45-minute production, reminding us how sorely needed its energy and stakes are amid the stultifying speeches.
This “1776” is a fascinating experiment full of thrilling performances and important questions, but its uneven staging and overlong book detract from its messages. And yet, Denver audiences likely have not seen another touring musical like this, one that so cleverly and directly challenges our ideas of who gets to have a say in our country, now or then.
If you go
“1776.” Touring revival of the Broadway musical, playing through Sunday, April 2, at the Buell Theatre in Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1350 Curtis St. in Denver. Tickets: $35-$120. 303-893-4100 or tickets.denvercenter.org
