1776

[crabtree]

has there ever been a full scale production of 1776 in the UK? some of the songs are so beautiful, especially the one about the death of young Billy - heartbreaking.

[Someone in a tree]

I don't know. But the recording was one of my lockdown finds. Such a great score and I'd love to see it on stage.

[couldileaveyou]

It ran for 168 performances at the New London (now Noel Coward Theatre) in 1970 and they even made a cast recording

[jaffe]

The London recording of the score is good. David Kernan's Molasses to Rum is a standout. Terry Mitchell, David Firth and Ritchie Stewart sing Momma Look Sharp.

The show itself is one where the book may be better than the songs but it is such a favourite of mine, I wouldn't want to say. But the book, by Peter Stone, is very good and there are times you wonder if there'll be a successful vote for the declaration.

Despite the great stage recordings, I tend to gravitate to the film soundtrack, which has Howard Da Silva as Franklin - he wasn't able to record the Broadway version (I also like to hear the pay-off line at the end of Cool Considerate Men, which is only on the soundtrack. Such an unimportant thing, but I like it). I always go to the London version for Momma Look Sharp.

[FrontroverPaul]

The Broadway cast recording is currently available on vinyl for £8.40 including delivery on eBay.

[schuttep]

Aug 11, 2021 12:48:35 GMT couldileaveyou said:

It ran for 168 performances at the New London (now Noel Coward Theatre) in 1970 and they even made a cast recording

Sorry to be pedantic but the theatre was called the New Theatre before the Albery (1973) and Noël Coward (2006).

The New London Theatre (now the Gillian Lynne) opened 1973 but is a different theatre.

Ive seen 1776 only once in 1998 at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway. 1970 was just before even my lengthy theatre-going lifetime! I figured I may never see it in London so seized the chance to see it in NY and I was really pleased I did. The outstanding moment was at the end of the first act when the actors reproduced on stage the famous John Trumbull painting Declaration of Independence. Utter magic.

[jaffe]

Aug 13, 2021 9:02:15 GMT schuttep said:

Aug 11, 2021 12:48:35 GMT couldileaveyou said:

It ran for 168 performances at the New London (now Noel Coward Theatre) in 1970 and they even made a cast recording

Sorry to be pedantic but the theatre was called the New Theatre before the Albery (1973) and Noël Coward (2006).

The New London Theatre (now the Gillian Lynne) opened 1973 but is a different theatre.

The outstanding moment was at the end of the first act when the actors reproduced on stage the famous John Trumbull painting Declaration of Independence. Utter magic.

End of the second act, surely? They're reprising He Plays A Violin at the end of the first.

The signing of the Declaration on July 4th is something of an invention but now there are engravings, paintings and 1776, it has passed into the mythology of the revolution.