STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 8/14/16- 1776

Welcome to BWW's ON THIS DAY Series celebrating theatrical birthdays, openings and special events that took place on this day in theatre history!

Today in 1997, the first Broadway revival of 1776 opened at Criterion Center Stage Right, where it ran for 333 performances. 1776 is a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The story is based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It focuses on, and partly fictionalizes, the efforts of John Adams to persuade his colleagues to vote for American independence and to sign the document. The production was nominated for five Tony Awards and won three, including the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical was made into a film of the same name in 1972.

In celebration of this day, we bring you 'The Lees of Old Virginia' as performed by the revival cast at the 1998 Tony Awards. Click below to check it out!