Review: 1776 Marvels with History

If you've ever dozed off in history class during the topic of the Declaration of Independence, prepare to be taught the same lesson in a much more interesting way. This past weekend at the South Bend Civic Theatre, 1776 opened. There were no limitations on how they dramatized the creation of the most influential document in the history of the United States of America.

The musical follows the legendary John Adams as he tries to convince his cohorts in congress to vote for American independence. Trust me, I know that sentence does not scream "fantastic musical" but it really is just that - a fantastic musical. SBCT spares no expertise in creating the Second Continental Congress based in Philadelphia from the set design all the way down to character portrayal. The second the hazy blue lighting brightens the stage and you can hear and feel the reverberating drum beat throughout the house, as you watch a whole regiment of men file in with individually detailed period costumes, you know you are in for a treat. Following this visually stunning entrance from the cast, you are blown away by the power behind the ensemble's singing with the very first song. It is almost shocking how loud the cast sounds; not only is it booming, it is crisp clear, and full of personality, letting you know that the actors and singers on stage know what they are doing, and they are ready to do it well.

The show continues on like this, with one amazing performance or ensemble feat after the other, with incredible pacing and beat work. There is almost never any dragging in the show's pace, even in a very, very long scene called "The Chamber" where there is incessant talking (to the point that you almost forget this is a musical). Even then, the acting prowess of the cast is able to envelop you into their colonial world such that the boring, albeit important, topic becomes increasingly interesting. This is due to both the actors and the director of the show, Chuck Gessert. Gessert and the cast have done such a phenomenal job of creating the tension that goes along with differing ideas, personalities, and the need to diffuse certain situations within a historically mundane topic. This is a triumphant task, because had they failed to do this, the dull topic would have then become a mind-numbingly boring musical.

There are a few actors who really stood out:

Frank Quirk plays Benjamin Franklin, the wise overseer of the whole process, perfectly. Quirk is simple and subtle in his wisdom and a technically sound actor. Franklin was a character to wait for because of the humorous delivery of his one-liners.

Tucker Curtis plays Thomas Jefferson, the eventual writer of the Declaration. His performance denotes a sweet but overwhelmed man that you easily sympathize with through Curtis's ability to depict Jefferson's seemingly never ending internal struggles.

Steve Chung plays John Dickinson, the main antagonist to John Adam's plans for American independence. Chung is able to play the "villain" well as his portrayal is not over the top or illogical, but rather Dickinson comes off as charming and well-intentioned. Chung's voice is also commanding and befitting of his character.

Finally, the real man of the hour is Ted Manier, who plays the notorious John Adams. Manier is incredible in his consistency of his character portrayal, showing an array of Adam's feelings throughout the entire show but all very much in tune with the core of the character. By the end of the show, you probably feel like you could speak freely on Adam's personality yourself because Manier is an expert on Adam's temperament and turns the rest of us into experts as well with his interpretation. Manier is precise in his execution of Adam, never flubbing or showing any mistake of any kind. It was a delight to watch him perform.

The show is nearly perfect, with only a few obvious flaws such as some mixing up or forgetting of lines, speaking too fast, or unclear accents, and a failure to find the light one needed to stand in. However, all of these are easily fixable or forgivable because they pale in comparison to the success of the rest of the show. Yes, there are many more moments I could speak of that take the show to the next level of enjoyment. There are plenty of clever jokes, props, cutely choreographed dancing, hilarious over the top characters such as a constant drunk and a man who only speaks in words that rhymes with his last name. I could go on and on, but it's better if you just see 1776 for yourself. Take a few hours to see a show that is rich in history and rich in entertainment. I guarantee the final scene, by far one of the most powerful, will leave everyone standing in ovation.

Photo Credit: Jon Gilchrist

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