1776 Ford’s Theatre

What a gorgeous theater. The juxtaposition from the very modern, new lobby/​ticketing area/​gift shop which is large and open to being directed thru the small doorway into the narrow former lobby and into the small, old theater is very interesting. And while I’m glad they’ve obviously redone the seats, I kind of wish they’d left the 3^rd tier alone instead of filling it with lights. But I guess it’s a double edged sword since they have to go somewhere and to cover up the intricate details on the ceiling would be a crime.
My friend and I came here to see The Laramie Project. It was interesting to see such a nontraditional work (courtesy of Unilocal,thanks again Kimberly!) in such a traditional space. On the proscenium, where they would usually be a large curtain hung, there was just a large open space. The space was very comfortable; there was no draft as is common w/​older theaters. The sound was just great. Being that this is a smaller space, I half expected to be assaulted with sound.
We, of course, took pictures (with no flash as was directed) of Lincoln’s balcony before the show started. Our seats were actually right under it which was a little surreal.
I recommend that everyone go see a show here, no matter what it is. Just for the experience of it. I’m a large fan of being a tourist in your own city sometimes, and this is a perfect place for that.

I laughed.
I cried.
It became a part of me.
Read Jim and Natasha’s reviews as they say it better than I could.
This show may throw coals onto the flame of your love for history and government. It was a great show, and it was fantastic to see it at Ford’s Theatre.
I kept looking into the balcony to see if the ghost of Abraham Lincoln was watching… I know he’d get a kick out of it, too.
I just wish that there had been time during intermission to finish my hot chocolate… Would have been good if after the show, the gift shop had been open. Ah, well. Money saved.

I came to see this production of 1776 courtesy of Unilocal DC. This was also my very first visit to Ford’s Theatre. What a beautiful space! I came into this show not knowing what to expect other than the show would be a musical about the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
We had a great seats in the Left Orchestra section with a very clear and up close view of the stage and the band. When I opened up the program and saw that the show would be a two acts: First act would be one hour and 10 minutes with a 15 minute intermission and Second act would be one hour and 40 minutes. GEEZ! Okay. this is going to be a marathon of a show. Luckily, the acting and singing was top notch. Otherwise, I don’t think I would have made it through the duration of the performance.
I wasn’t a huge fan of all the musical numbers, but the stand out performance of the night by leaps and bounds was the song about Northern hypocrisy about slavery, «Molasses to Rum,» delivered by Gregory Maheu as Edward Rutledge, the delegate from South Carolina. It was beyond riveting and in the second act.
I have to say, even though this was a long production, I quite enjoyed it. It was a wonderful and realistic way to portray the story of how the Second Continental Congress operated and came about drafting the Declaration of Independence. It was patriotic without being sappy and making people like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin seem like Gods. After awhile, you kind of feel like you are right there in the room with them as they debate and contemplate coming together to become an independent country.
Great show for families, but not small children as they may get antsy because of the length of the show. Highly recommended!

This production of 1776 is a revival of the Tony Award winning musical that everyone has come to know and love over the years. If anything, this version is an improvement over the 1972 film based on that original production. Of course, I am a bit biased. I was forced to watch that film in my 8^th grade U.S. History class when I was at an age where a man in period clothing singing about saltpeter did not exactly catch my fancy. Seriously though, the cast in this production is solid and often engaging which makes the musical and its historical subject matter that much more penetrating.
The musical covers the events of the Second Continental Congress from May 8 — July 4, 1776 primarily focussing on the drafting, (spoiler alert) adoption, and ultimate signing of the Declaration of Independence. The production is particularly great at highlighting many of the underlying tensions and the ultimate difficulty in bringing about this, now, fundamental document. Many of the heroes depicted had not yet achieved their heroic status, rather they are shown as able and passionate men each trying to do what they feel is right. The right course of action, varies though from man to man and from the interest of one state to another. We witness before our eyes that as they came together, so did, by extension, the colonies come together to become an independent and sovereign country.
The musical numbers liven up considerably what would otherwise be a sobering play. Gregory Maheu’s rendition of Edward Rutledge’s singing «Molasses to Rum» was particularly moving and especially memorable. The eerie punctuation by the African drums led to that historical foreboding that not everything was going to be addressed and wrapped up so simply with the writing of this document; that slavery would provide an even greater challenge down the road. More to injecting levity, songs like «Sit Down, John» and «The Egg» do much to humanize the protagonists and are great sources of relief. The orchestra pit is fairly small, but the orchestra does a fairly good job supporting the singers. All of the costuming feels right, but the sets are a little sparse.
Overall, I had a great time seeing this production of 1776. It has left me thinking about those times and wanting to read more history, which is certainly not a bad thing. I recommend it to anyone interested in the early history of our country. The only caveat is that it is a bit long, extending to just under 3 hours of production time, not including the intermission — so plan accordingly. Great show!