Featuring a book by Peter Stone and music & lyrics by Sherman Edwards, 1776 follows John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Richard Henry Lee, and Thomas Jefferson as they attempt to convince the members of the second Continental Congress to vote for independence from the shackles of the British monarchy by signing the Declaration of Independence.
Robert Cuccioli, Lauren Kennedy, James Barbour and Kerry O’Malley are among the stars in Paper Mill Playhouse’s upcoming production of 1776. The show will run at the Millburn, New Jersey, theater from April 15 through May 17, with a press opening scheduled for April 19. Gordon Greenberg will direct, with choreography by Josh Rhodes. Broadway com
Hear! Hear! The Continental Congress has assembled at Paper Mill Playhouse. A color guard from nearby Maguire Air Force Base marched down the aisle to centerstage on opening night, joining the audience in the national anthem and getting the rousing 40th anniversary production of “1776” off to a spirited start. The bells toll once again for the signing of the Declaration of Independence, providing a timely reminder of the stand for unity in a world of turmoil and doubt. And it’s even better when set to music. The show’s stirring 11 o’clock number goes to James Barbour, most recently seen as Sydney Carton in Broadway’s “A Tale of Two Cities.” As staunch defender of slavery Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, he sings a smoldering version of the whip-cracking “Molasses to Rum.”
Robert Cuccioli and James Barbour are extremely confident, commanding, and imposing as John Dickinson and Edward Rutledge, the two biggest opponents of independence in the Congress, stopping the show cold with their respective big numbers: "Cool, Considerate Men" and "Molasses to Rum."
Saw the show opening weekend. It was awesome!!! But if you're making a highlight clip you gotta put James Barbour's Molasses to Rum somewhere in it! He stopped the show!!!
A viewer