OK, all you fangirls! If you live in the Greater Los Angeles area or can get here, make your way immediately to the Ahmanson Theater in the L.A. Music Center. You will want to check out the unique revival of the musical 1776, about the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Many consider this to be the forerunner to Hamilton. This incredible musical will run through May 7.
Creative and Thoughtful Casting
When the directors, Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus, revealed their casting choices, a lot of people expressed intense criticism. This musical, written for a cast of 15-20 men and two women, has a cast of all female, trans, and nonbinary individuals. No men at all! The cast reflects multiple representations of race, ethnicity, and gender. When they heard this fact the night of the show, my parents began to question their wisdom in purchasing tickets, but they soon changed their mind.
Gisela Adisa as John Adams
Thirty seconds after Gisela Adisa strode onto the stage as John Adams, the lead character, everyone in the audience knew that she owned the stage. Each performer, most of whom took center stage at some point during the musical, had tremendous stage presence and intense power in both their voices and their acting. As my dad pointed out, the musical did not rely on just one or two performers. Each performer could have been a star in their own right.
The Historical Depictions
Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams
My mom, the historian of our family, was impressed by the historical details that the musical brought out beyond those written directly into the script. She especially appreciated the depiction of John Adams. Adisa portrayed Adams accurately, reflecting the numerous history books my mom has read on the founding father. In segues throughout the musical, we see John Adams exchanging letters with his wife, Abigail Adams, quoting directly from the letters that have been preserved. In particular is Abigail’s lobbying on behalf of women’s rights. Further, the musical depicts the chaos and conflict that reveal what a messy process fighting for independence turned out to be.
The other historical detail that stood out to us all was the depiction of the fight over slavery and the concession that Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin had to make in removing language against slavery just to get the South to join in supporting the fight for independence. Kassandra Haddock, portraying Edward Rutledge from South Carolina, gave a highly memorable performance of Molasses to Rum, which highlighted the Triangle Trade that made a strong economic impact throughout all of America. This trade sent captives from Africa to the Americas. Then the Americas sent raw goods, including molasses and rum, to England, which sent money to Africa to buy more kidnapped people. The song had a very hypnotic set of music, dance, and other movement, demonstrating the control that slavery had on all the colonies, not just the South. They thought that slavery put them in control, but in reality, it was controlling them.
Diversity
The music was quite varied, with some amazing singers. One piece about the lack of freedom was set against a backdrop of video clips of civil rights struggles from the 1960s to present. It included rights for not just Blacks, but LGBTQ+ people, Native American tribes, and other ethnic groups. The video montage set against the song concluded with Black Lives Matter. It was very poignant, challenging assumptions that this country has gained all its freedom and highlighting how far we have to go.
Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin
The main element of controversy, the casting of all female, trans, and nonbinary individuals in these roles, turned out not to matter to any of us once the musical got started. As my dad pointed out, almost immediately, he stopped noticing that we were not watching men play the men’s roles. The cast was also very ethnically diverse, with people of all colors. The two main leads, Adisa as John Adams and Liz Mikel as Benjamin Franklin, are Black. I was rather hoping that Thomas Jefferson would be played by a Black person, as an ironic touch on his affair with his slave Sally Hemmings. However, Nancy Anderson, a White woman, did an excellent job in the role.
The notes in the program highlight the directors’ intention of challenging gender and racial stereotypes. As director Paulus pointed out, “Every single person on that stage is not someone who would be allowed to be inside Independence Hall in 1776.”
Conclusion
Even though it has been a week since I saw 1776, the musical still resonates in my mind and heart. I was moved by the original content of the musical, and the production served to magnify that depth of thought all the more. So I encourage all to take the chance to watch this production.
