Just to preface this, I have seen both the movie and the staged version of the original show, so I was delighted to see what a non-man and racially diverse cast would bring to Sherman Edwards’s “1776”.
What you should know: The characters continued the use he/him pronouns throughout the show and directors expected actors to step into the role of men. There is also a gun shot sound effect used in the second act, just like the original Broadway production. This is not a traditional musical, so it doesn’t have a big act 1 closer or finale in act 2 through song. And for a long period of time in the first act there are no songs used to further the plot, serving more as a play. Apparently Edwards attempted to write a song to divide some of the long conversations, but ultimately it did not fit.
The show began with the cast in modern clothing, stepping into their colonial shoes and jackets. I felt that this represented the actors stepping into their roles, showing that the founding fathers and the actors were now one in the same. Both the people who represented past America and current America are now have now become equal in this space. I appreciated the updated costuming that had touches of the current era and colonial times. I really liked that each member of the continental congress had a standout and colorful jacket of their own. It helped to remember the character and the state they were representing. It was also awesome that they allowed the Native American actress , Brooke Simpson to wear her tribal necklace as a part of her costume.
Moving on to the orchestration. Typically I love updated orchestrations, but here they were hit or miss. As the arrangements are already so complex, it makes it difficult to add to or change them. The added harmonies were definitely a good choice.
The new arrangement of “Momma Look Sharp” was certainly powerful, but it lacked some of the typical ghostly feel to it. I think incorporating piano to this song would have truly made the song feel dark and scary with the use of the minor chords. But maybe instead, this soldier is angry. Maybe because they resent the war and death. At least that’s what I got out of this portrayal of the soldier. A nice touch was adding the mom on stage to this scene.
After some research I believe the original placement of intermission was after “Momma Look Sharp”. In this version, it was after “He Plays The Violin”. I think the original placement of the intermission would have served as a better cliff hanger and a grander act 1 closing. One could place the intermission after “Cool, Cool, Considerate Men”, though this may create a problem for opening Act 2 (as it would start on a low note, using “Momma Look Sharp”). Though, it is a flaw with the show itself , rather than the current production.
Moreover, the lighting design did not particularly stand out. I think it was best used during “Molasses To Rum” because of all the different colors. I felt that it could be darker at times, especially during “Is Anybody There?” and “Momma Look Sharp” as a way to focus on the actors on stage. However, the projections were cool. I liked that a money projection was used during “Cool, Cool, Considerate Men” and the various projections to display the history of the U.S. I thought they showed both the hardships and good things the creation of the U.S. has brought. The projections were also used as a new way to display the votes, but they may have benefited from using a regular board. If one is not extremely familiar with U.S. history, this can get confusing.
That being said, I think the anti-racist themes were a lot less subtle in this production than the original. Originally, these themes solely rely on the lyricism. They are a bit more hidden and easier to miss in the original. But there is no doubt that the creators of the new production honed in on racism and the repercussions it brought.
On top of this, I believe the set and staging of “Molasses to Rum” highlights the flaws of slavery. I loved the way that Sara Porkalob portrays Edward Rutledge of North Carolina in such a terrifying manner. Until then Rutledge is mostly quiet, but this scene truly instills fear in the audience, leaving them on the edge of their seat. It’s haunting. I feel as though this was always the intent of the song, but between the staging, lighting, and Porkalob it was brought to a new level. Rather than Rutledge just standing in front of the Congress, an entirely new place emerges. A place of darkness, where one can actually see the inhumanity of slaves being sold first hand. The set reveals barrels and barrels of goods that slaves have been forced to produce. At heart this is not only a song in favor of abolition, but also an anti-capitalist song. It explains although slavery does wonders for the economy, there are some petrifying outcomes. I’d do anything to see this scene again. Porkalob allows the lyrics to roll so easily off her tongue, she acts effortlessly evil.
In a Vulture article Porkalob, mentioned that the cast was not asked to consider their queerness when taking on these roles. I’m not sure how this would have been done, but it’s definitely interesting as race was such a defining theme of this version.
I genuinely love how this show is such a team effort, everyone has a duty to fulfill and everyone has a speaking part and a song to sing. The show closes out with the signing. I liked how the projections were used here, it’s reminiscent of the movie. Each member of Congress steps out and behind them the barrels are revealed once again, but now they look like they go on forever. The original ending of the show seems to be more hopeful. I think this alternate ending is a metaphor for both the greatness of America, but also America is a broken nation created on the foundation of discrimination and we cannot forget that. When we choose to remember this, it helps us to improve. It reminds us we must take action and we hold the power to change America for the future generations.
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