Explore this Show

Overview

Synopsis

It is a long hot summer in Philadelphia, and the Continental Congress is an exhausted, annoyed, quarrelsome collection of men, at each other’s throats over the burning question of independence from Great Britain. John Adams, the passionate crusader for rebellion, races against time: if the congress does not agree to throw off the yoke of tyranny, General Washington’s painfully outnumbered army will have no ideal for which to fight. But Adams is obnoxious and disliked -- no one will listen to his arguments. They might have a chance if Thomas Jefferson, that silver wordsmith, would write a Declaration -- but Jefferson, frustrated by his long absence from lovely wife Martha, is in no mood to be creative. And when it comes down to a final decision, the course of history hangs on whether sycophantic Judge James Wilson can remain as anonymous as possible with his vote….. Under these conditions, how will America ever achieve Independence? Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards’ 1776 is a brilliant imagining of American history, a grand tale which manages to feel both intimate and epic at once, bringing humor and humanity to the account of twenty men, three months, and one incredible argument, in which the fate of nations is decided. The score features such famous tunes as the romantic “He Plays the Violin,” the comedic “The Lees of Old Virginia,” and that plaintive memorial to young patriots, “Momma, Look Sharp.”

Show Information

Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
1969
Genres
Drama, Comedy, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
summer, 1776, philadelphia, pennsylvania
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Musical Staging
Ideal For
Community Theatre, High School, Large Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult, Late Teen, Early Teen Characters

Lead Characters

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Benjamin Franklin

Lead

Male

Baritone, Bass

John Adams

Lead

Male

Baritone

Thomas Jefferson

Lead

Male

Tenor

John Dickinson

Supporting

Male

Baritone, Bass

Edward Rutledge

Supporting

Male

Tenor

John Hancock

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Stephen Hopkins

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Colonel Thomas McKean

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Charles Thomson

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Abigail Adams

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Martha Jefferson

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Richard Henry Lee

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Caesar Rodney

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Dr. Josiah Bartlett

Featured

Male

Spoken

Roger Sherman

Featured

Male

Tenor

Lewis Morris

Featured

Male

Spoken

Robert Livingston

Featured

Male

Baritone

Reverend John Livingston

Featured

Male

Spoken

James Wilson

Featured

Male

Spoken

George Read

Featured

Male

Spoken

Samuel Chase

Featured

Male

Spoken

Joseph Hewes

Featured

Male

Spoken

Dr. Lyman Hall

Featured

Male

Spoken

Andrew McNair

Featured

Male

Spoken

A Courier

Featured

Male

Tenor

A Leather Apron

Featured

Male

Spoken

A Painter

Featured

Male

Silent

Continental Congress

Ensemble

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Songs

Act One

  • Sit Down, John - John Adams and the Congress
  • Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve - Adams
  • Till Then - John and Abigail Adams
  • The Lees of Old Virginia - Lee, Franklin, and Adams
  • But, Mr Adams - Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Sherman, and Livingston
  • Yours, Yours, Yours, - John and Abigail Adams
  • He Plays the Violin - Martha Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams
  • * Cool, Cool, Considerate Men - Dickinson and the Conservatives
  • Momma, Look Sharp -- Courier, McNair, and Leather Apron
  • The Egg - Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson
  • Molasses to Rum - Rutledge
  • Reprise: Yours, Yours, Yours - Abigail Adams
  • Is Anybody There? - Adams

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Quote Analysis

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher