Birth of nation retold in OTP musical 1776 By MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS Record

When I recently spoke with one of the lead actors in the Old Town Playhouse (OTP) production of "1776," he described his experience with a wistful sigh and by saying, "If only history had been this much fun when we were learning it as kids."

Those words echoed in my mind as I left the opening night of the production on Friday, having been thoroughly entertained and educated along with most all of the captivated audience, who rewarded the show with a well-deserved standing ovation. We also walked away with a glowing sense of patriotism, the result of a bit of time traveling to understand the struggles that took place to craft and sign the Declaration of Independence, paving the way for the birth of our nation.

A Tony Award-winning play that is being produced for the second time at OTP, it escaped no one’s attention on opening night, as it undoubtedly should throughout the rest of the show’s four-week run, that the timing could not be better for us - be it as an appreciative theater audience member or one of our collective nation.

With its scant amount of songs and the fact that it’s basis wouldn’t seem a likely premise for a musical, "1776" has plenty of surprises up its sleeve. If anything, its 13 numbers (with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards) complement the power and theatricality of the piece. The weight of its effectiveness is placed clearly on a strong interpretive vision by the director, and realized by a cast of slightly more than two dozen men, all of whom acquit themselves as strong dramatic performers, more so than charming song and dance guys.

One of many kudos to give this show is that veteran OTP director and her actors (including two fine women) do just that. The focus is on a remarkable group of free-thinking and courageous men - most notably President John Hancock (John Dew), John Adams (Brian Dungjen) , Benjamin Franklin (Phil Murphy), Edward Rutledge (Brett Nichols), Richard Henry Lee (Chris Cooke), and Thomas Jefferson (Matt Heffron)- 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.

They’ll have a deal if all of these colorful personalities can agree on the terms, and Mason guides her production with the steadiest of hands as she coaxes some extraordinary work out of the ensemble the show requires. This piece is certainly accented by a number of standout performances (primarily by those noted above), but is most impressive for the way this group of talented actors works together, much like that first congress did.

In that spirit, this writer will take an unusual departure form traditional theatrical reviews and encourage readers to take note of all the cast members, who include Kevin Weber, William Floto, Geoff Henion, David Oullette, Jamie Cox, Andrew Martin, Don Kuehlhorn, Bob Hood, Steve Morse, Dick Dawson, Patrick Cotner, Scott Bufe, Al Lien, James Russell, Brad Lewis, David Tiffany, Dane Moeggenberg, Dale Williams, Nicholas Weinheiner, Shakyra Eady-Jones and Jessica Cerutti. Each and every person who steps on stage deserves recognition here, and this seems the most democratic - no pun intended - means to do so.

"1776" would also not be the remarkable production it is without the assistance of a technical crew who helped ensure its accuracy in so many details, including the costume design of Nancy Albrecht and Pinkie Hoffman, properties by Molly Shugart, choreography by Nicolle Girard, set design by Phil Murphy (who did double duty as a lead actor), and Michelle Jozsa, the designer of hair and wigs.

Vocal Director Tom Stokes and Musical Director/Conductor Joe Rice coaxed the best out of the talented musicians and singers, and stand-out numbers were "For God’s Sake, John, Sit Down," "But Mr. Adams -," " Cool, Cool Considerate Men," "He Plays the Violin," "Momma, Look Sharp," "The Egg," and "Molasses to Rum."

Mason and crew and cast have clearly put a good deal into insuring that the audience will walk way from "1776" feeling that they were as close to those sweltering days of May, June, and July 1776, when the founding fathers themselves emerged with similar notions of triumph and accomplishment. Don’t miss this chance to be a part of the excitement.

Performance dates for "1776" are March 21-24, 28-30 and April 4-6, 2002 at 8 p.m. Thursdays- Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 24. Educational talks led by the director, cast and crew will be held immediately following the performances on Thursdays, March 21 and April 4. Tickets are $18; a student/senior rate of $16 is available on Thursdays only. Box office hours are Monday through Fridays, 4-8 p.m. through the run of the show as well as two hours prior to show time on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, contact OTP at (231) 947-2210 or the box office at (231) 947-2443.

Northern Express story:

It’s the sweltering summer of 1776, and the brand new nation of America is ready to declare its independence. There’s one small catch holding up the process - the founding fathers of the country have to agree on the particulars, which might be ust as daunting as fighting for freedom.

In Traverse City, one of the most catalytic events in American history has come to life on the stage of the Old Town Playhouse (OTP), and its timing couldn’t be better. Running Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m. through April 6, with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, March 24, "1776" is one of the most unconventional and yet acclaimed pieces of American musical theatre.

It follows John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Richard Henry Lee and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia 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, and thus, give birth to the United States.

Set entirely in Philadelphia in the months of May, June, and July of 1776, composer Sherman Edwards, a former history teacher, spent nine and one half years researching and creating this musical, and Peter Stone wrote the book. Hailed by critics for being funny, insightful, and compelling, it was nominated for five Tonys in 1969, winning Best Actor, Best Featured or Supporting Cast in a Musical, Best Director in a Musical, and Best Musical. The movie version came out in 1972, and the show enjoyed a recent Broadway revival with Brent Spiner playing John Adams.

Mary Bevans Gillett, Executive Director of OTP, said that when they made the decision nearly two years ago to produce 1776 again for the second time in the organization’s history, there was no way they could have anticipated how America would change during the latter part of 2001, making a play about the freedom and independence of this country even more relevant than it was during the Bicentennial celebration.

"It’s all quite serendipitous," she stated. "Shows are chosen on their own merits, and this was a wonderful musical - entertaining, challenging, and educational - but since September 11, and just having passed the six-month anniversary of that horrific day, there’s no doubt we’ve all come to appreciate how special our country. We’re looking at freedom in a different way now, and with new regard for the courage and vision the forefathers and women who shaped this country and took a stand to create a new country. "1776" is more important and timely today than ever."

The production is directed by OTP veteran and Traverse City East Junior High School instructor Jeanette Mason. Her cast includes Phil Murphy, Brian Dungjen, Matt Heffron, John Dew, Kevin Weber, William Floto, Geoff Henion, David Oullette, Jamie Cox, Andrew Martin, Don Kuehlhorn, Bob Hood, Steve Morse, Dick Dawson, Patrick Cotner, Scott Bufe, Chris Cooke, Al Lien, Brett Nichols, James Russell, Brad Lewis, David Tiffany, Dane Moeggenberg, Dale Williams, Nicholas Weinheiner, Shakyra Eady-Jones and Jessica Cerutti.

Mason says that one of the triumphs of the show is the human face it puts on the pages of history, revealing the men behind the national icons to be proud, frightened, uncertain, irritable, charming, and often petty. Ultimately, they’re noble figures determined to do the right thing for a fledgling nation. In a case of life imitating art, her nearly all-male cast and her substantial production crew (the orchestra members number 20 alone) have dedicated themselves to an extensive amount of research and confirmation of authentic details to ensure that they do the right thing for their show.

"There has been an extraordinary amount of attention given to detail here, from an authentic musket and props to costumes, and you only get that with a particular ilk of person who connects with the material to the point that they not only do their homework, but they can tell you what’s correct in the script or what has to be done to make it that way," shared Mason. "It has all come out in the work, and I believe the audience will recognize that while they’re being captivated by the humanity of the founding fathers."

One of those is Benjamin Franklin, played by Phil Murphy, a veteran actor and director himself who did double duty on this production as its set designer. Murphy first fell in love with the show about 30 years ago when he played the second smallest role, The Leather Apron, when it was done in Cleveland, Ohio, and in playing one of 1776's leads, he too, has been somewhat "obsessed," as he calls it, with both getting details right and making it entertaining for the audience.

"For all its slight caricaturing of individuals, the show is very true to actual events but balances it with music and fun," he explained. "You see this and you think, "Oh, if only history was this much fun to learn," but the flip side of that is how meaningful everything seems to be in light of the tragedy of September 11. My character has a line about "giving up liberty to obtain temporary safety and that the person who does so deserves neither," which really hits home, and that’s just one of many lines to do so.

"We want people to enjoy this look at history, and walk away with the understanding that people, simple men in many respects, made great decisions that have affected millions over the years in a very positive way. It’s stirring to realize how they came together and found a way to be free, and we think that people might just be amazed by what they discover in this play."

Performance dates for "1776" are March 21-24, 28-30 and April 4-6, 2002 at 8 p.m. Thursdays- Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 24. Educational talks led by the director, cast and crew will be held immediately following the performances on Thursdays, March 21 and April 4. Tickets are $18. A student/senior rate of $16 is available on Thursdays only. Group rates are available for schools and organizations. Box office hours are Monday through Fridays, 4-8 p.m. Fridays through the run of the show as well as two hours prior to show time on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, contact OTP at (231) 947-2210 or the box office at (231) 947-2443.

On July 4, 1776, the eve of battle in New York was at hand. The American Continental Army had only 5,000 men to stand against 25,000 British redcoats.

Yet despite the odds and certain death for treason should the colonies lose the
war, 56 brave men -- members of the second Continental Congress stood poised to sign the Declaration of Independence.

The pivotal events and stirring debate which led to the historic document -- and ultimately to the birth of the nation -- is retold in story and song in "1776," opening at the Old Town Playhouse March 15.

winner of the 1969 Tony Award for Best Musical, the show follows John Adams of assachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia as they attempt to convince the rest of Congress to throw off the shackles of British monarchy by declaring the 13 united colonies free and independent states.

The mainstage production and its predominantly male cast is directed by OTP veteran Jeanette Mason in her first directorial outing since 2000's "Inherit the Wind."

For Mason, an English, history and civics instructor who last directed a musical six years ago (OTP's "Fiddler on the RooF"), molding two dozen alpha males into one cohesive cast was a hit like teaching one of her classes at Traverse City East Junior High School.

"Trying to direct 26 men on stage, many of whom have their own ideas, cannot be underestimated in its challenge," said Mason.

Apart from that, she said, the show's higgest challenge was remaining true to the period in which it was set. She and producers aimed for historical accuracy wherever possible, down to the Windsor chairs and tables and early American pewter inkwell and quill pen used to decorate the set -- Independence Hall -- designed hy Phil Murphy. There's even a sand shaker, used in Colonial times to dry wet ink on paper.

To recreate the dress of the period, costume designers Nancy Albrecht and Pinkie Hoffman sewed nearly
everything from scratch, from the knickers and vests to the shirts and jackets with their lace collars and sleeves
and authentic trim and buttons. They dyed tights for leggings, ordered dozens of wigs, and scuffed up dress shoes
with acetone before adding buckles and bows.

"And then we put them on and the men are still sitting in 2002," said Mason, who resorted to method acting to get the actors to carry off the grace and carriage of well-to-do Colonial gentlemen and women. "It is a whole way of walking, gesturing."

Although the OTP season was announced well before Sept. 11, Mason and her cast haven't missed the irony of
the musical's production at a time when patriotism is higher than it has been since W.W.II.

In contrast, when the show opened on Broadway in March of 1969, Richard Nixon was president, the Vietnam
War was escalating, the civil rights struggle was continuing and college campuses were in turmoil. Americans
were divided by generation, race and political philosophy.

Then, as now, the play served as a reminder of our national origin and of the courage and determination of the
remarkable group of men who faced almost certain hanging by battling for independence. It became a popular hit,
winning five Tony Awards (it beat out the enormously successful "Hair" for Best Musical) and the prestigious
N.Y. Theatre Critics Circle Award, and spawned two national touring companies, an award-winning London
production and, finally, a Hollywood motion picture.

In 1997, it enjoyed a successful revival on Broadway.

Mason said credit for the show92s timeless popularity goes equally to the book by Peter Stone and music and
lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Unlike in most musicals, the proportion of songs to dialogue is about even.
Of the 13 tunes, however, several are standouts. They include the clever "Lees of Old Virginia," in which
Virginia's flamboyant Richard Henry Lee agrees to be the one to propose independence with his colony's
approval; "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men" in which the conservatives' position is carried out; and
"Molasses to Rum," in which the elegant South Carolina Congressman Edward Rutledge protests the part of
the Declaration that condemns slavery and accuses Jefferson and the New England delegations of hypocrisy.

"It's a song that makes the audience very uncomfortable," Mason noted. "It's not a very nice song." The
Old Town Playhouse production stars Brian Dungjen as John Adams, Phil Murphy as Benjamin Franklin, Matt
Heffron as Thomas Jefferson and Don Kuehlhorn as Pennsylvania's John Dickinson, the leader of the Congressional
opposition to independence. Shakyra Eady-Jones and Jessica Cerutti play Abigail Adams and Martha
Jefferson.

"1776" runs through April 6 on the playhouse at Cass and Eighth streets. Tickets are $18 for general
admission, $16 for students and seniors (Thursdays only) and $12 for
chi1dren (Sunday matinees only). For reservations or information, call the OTP box office at 947-2443.