In honor and support of United States Veterans and Military Personnel, The Theatre Company announces America’s award-winning musical, 1776. Performances will be presented free of charge to encourage attendance by all those interested in good music, patriotism, comedy, and a gritty look at our founding fathers. Free admission has been made possible in part by the Daughters of the American Revolution, who will have members present for a welcome reception of the audience at the Sunday performance, and community service funding from WalMart.
The Theatre Company is proud to revive 1776 as a prelude to Veterans Day 2008. Many of the original cast has returned, including James White as John Adams, E. Michael Bishop as Ben Franklin, and Tom Fitton as John Hancock, President of the Congress. Ryan Gentry, in the original cast as a child, returns in an adult role as Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Congress. The part of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, will be played by Bruce Salsman, and the Virginia Representative who brought the proposal for independence to the congress, Richard Henry Lee, will be played by Jim Gresham. Jamie Taylor, playing Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, sings one of the most outstanding songs of the score - "Molasses to Rum".
With music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and book by Peter Stone, 1776 explores the trials and quirks of the representatives of the original colonies as they fight in congress that hot summer of 1776 while General Washington fights in the field. As in our original Theatre Company production, some of the representatives are played by ladies in disguise. The excellent cast includes Lisa Johnson as Abigail Adams, Julianna Stefanski as Martha Jefferson; Janet Dietz, Claudia Peterson, Katie Stefanski, Vive Allen, Drew McCormick, Trey O’Dell, Marrick O’Quin, Rob Thomason, Ken Bailey, Wes Williams, Greg Gibson, John O’Dell, Bill Edwards, Jerome Tauer, Jim Harp, Clark Middleton, and Mike Wood.
