1776: A Musical Play (Penguin Plays)
by Sherman Edwards, Peter Stone
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Book Summary Information
Author: Peter Stone, Sherman EdwardsEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1976-11-18
ISBN: 0140481397
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of 1776: A Musical Play (Penguin Plays)
Book Review: Peter Stone's book that goes with Sherman Edward's songs
Summary: 5 Stars
Every 4th of July I watch the restored laser disc edition of "1776," the musical that has our Founding Fathers singing and dancing their way to Independency, and every time John and Abigail Adams sing goodbye to each other ("Till Then" and "Yours, Yours, Yours"), I get absolutely choked up (to be fair, I get absolutely choked up when I listen to either the original Broadway cast with William Daniels as John Adams or the revival cast with Brent Spiner in the role). But as much as I enjoy the songs, from "Sit Down, John" to "Is Anybody There?", what I admire is the way Peter Stone's book tells the story of what happened in foul, fetid, fuming, foggy, filthy Philadelphia.
Granted this is drama and not history. A historian would point to a big error in that John Dickinson did not show up the day of the crucial vote so that Pennsylvania would not kill independence. But Stone lays out the positions of those who oppose independence, not only Dickinson but Edmund Rutledge of South Carolina, who wants independence but sees it as independence for South Carolina. Consequently, even though we know that these men are going to sign their John Hancocks to the Declaration we still wonder how it will happen given the obstacles. The biggest one is slavery, and while the song "Molasses To Rum" captures the Triangle Trade, it is the debate between Rutledge on the one side and Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin on the other that is even more memorable as the Founding Fathers discuss the difference between "property" and "people being treated like property."
One of the most unusual things about "1776" as a musical is that the vast majority of songs are in Act I, because once the declaration committe's draft is read to the congress ("The Egg"), the debate becomes too important for anything but the most somber of songs. The genius here is the ability to mix low comedy, as in "The Lees of Old Virginia," with the historical drama, best represented by the moment when Franklin justifies the need for independency to Dickinson. Stone takes Franklin's old words, "We are a new nationality. We require a new nation," and amplifies them into a moment of ideological clarity. It is the gravity of that moment which allows the songs by Sherman Edwards to go off in fanciful directions, along with Franklin's pointed reminder at the crucial moment that the Founding Fathers were not demi-gods.
I maintain there is a wonderful educational opportunity with "1776." Obviously it is not what "really" happened, but it is based on such things, from the words of the Declaration of Indpendence to the letters exchanged between John and Abigail always addressed to "My dearest friend." Granted, not all students will be interested in exploring the reality behind the drama, but for those willing to make the connection, it is a worthwhile step in the development of their critical faculties.
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