1776 Broadway Revival Begins Performances

The Broadway revival of 1776 begins performances at the American Airlines Theatre on September 16 ahead of its October 6 opening night. Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus co-direct the production, which features music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone based on a concept by Edwards. 

The cast includes Crystal Lucas-Perry leading the company as John Adams, Carolee Carmello as John Dickinson, Gisela Adisa as Robert Livingston, Nancy Anderson as George Read, Becca Ayers as Col. Thomas McKean, TIffani Barbour as Andrew McNair, Allyson Kaye Daniel as Abigail Adams/Rev. Jonathan Witherspoon, Elizabeth A. Davis 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 Ariella Serur, Grace Stockdale and Imani Pearl Williams as Standbys. 

Kristolyn Lloyd will take over as John Adams beginning on October 25. Lucas-Perry is exiting the production on October 23 for another project that has yet to be announced.

Fed up with living under the tyranny of British rule, John Adams attempts to persuade his fellow members of the Continental Congress to vote in favor of American Independence and sign the Declaration. But how much is he willing to compromise in the pursuit of freedom? And who does that freedom belong to? This new production of the Tony Award-winning musical reexamines this pivotal moment in American history with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender and ethnicity.

The revival features choreography by Page, music supervision by David Chase, orchestrations by John Clancy, vocal design by AnnMarie Milazzo and music direction by Ryan Cantwell. The creative team includes Scott Pask (sets), Emilio Sosa (costumes), Jen Schriever (lights), Jonathan Deans (sound), David Bengali (projections), Mia Neal (hair and wigs), Stephen Kopel, CSA (casting), Brisa Areli Muñoz (associate director) and Alfredo Macias (production stage manager).

This marks the second Broadway revival of 1776. The first, a Tony-nominated 1997 mounting, was also produced by Roundabout. As announced, this revival will embark on a national tour in February 2023.