Event

1776

The musical 1776 is the story based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Combining historical events, humor and, music, the show dramatizes the efforts of John Adams to persuade his colleagues to vote for American independence and to sign the document.
It premiered on Broadway in 1969, earning warm reviews, and ran for 1,217 performances. The production was nominated for five Tony Awards and won three, including the Tony Award for Best Musical. The show was revived on Broadway in 1997.
The production shows the founding fathers at their outermost limits. These men were the cream of their colonies. ... They disagreed and fought with each other. But they understood commitment, and though they fought, they fought affirmatively."[;3]; Producer Stuart Ostrow recommended that librettist Peter Stone collaborate with Edwards on the book of the musical. Stone recalled,
The minute you heard [;"Sit Down, John"];, you knew what the whole show was. ... You knew immediately that John Adams and the others were not going to be treated as gods or cardboard characters, chopping down cherry trees and flying kites with strings and keys on them. It had this very affectionate familiarity; it wasn't reverential.