Year In Business Was Full Of Promise

Abduction Attempt Reported

By BOB NOCEK; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Saturday, December 27, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





NEW YORK- Lest anyone think our founding fathers were a dignified lot,
along comes a radiant revival of "1776" to bring some boisterous humanity to
the story of how America was born. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The members of Congress in 1776 are a sniping, bickering bunch unified in
only one regard- their contempt for John Adams, who singlehandedly spearheads
the colonies' separation from the rule of the King of England. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And it in the fiery battles, not on George Washington's battlefield but
rather in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, that a three-decades-old musical
is most entertaining. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This revival of "1776" first opened in August in the Roundabout Theatre
Company's Stage Right, a considerably smaller house than the Gershwin Theatre,
the terribly bland venue to which it transferred earlier this month. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It has survived the move intact, losing intimacy but retaining its
vitality. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Brent Spiner, particularly, seems to have benefited from the show's
extended run. As John Adams, Spiner (of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" fame)
seems to have increased in fortitude; his Adams today is more impassioned than
on an earlier visit to the show this summer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As a counterpart to Adams, who, by admission, is "obnoxious and disliked,"
Pat Hingle is a splendidly effortless presence as Benjamin Franklin, who takes
pride in his words and sleeps through congressional sessions. He's the comic
foil used to deflate Adams' ego. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Several other members of Congress are given noteworthy performances,
notably Michael Cumpsty as John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, Gregg Edelman as
Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, and Merwin Foard as Richard Henry Lee of
Virginia. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Less impressive is Paul Michael Valley, whose Thomas Jefferson is a little
too subdued given his significance. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "1776" could be called the un-musical musical, because Sherman Edwards'
score includes only 13 songs, a relatively small quantity in a show that runs
three full hours. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the most part, Edwards' numbers are pleasant diversions like "Sit Down,
John" and "The Lees of Old Virginia," entertaining in their presentation but
musically unremarkable. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Molasses To Rum" is among the exceptions, a haunting commentary on
northern involvement in the slave trade with more resonance than most other
numbers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 One gets the feeling, however, that "1776" could survive without the music
altogether. That's a credit to Peter Stone's book, which is among the richest
stories on Broadway right now. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some might say the praise is more due to history than Stone, but he
nonetheless has wrapped it in a consistently tight package. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And what he achieves most successfully is making our forefathers human. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 From high school textbooks more concerned with dates and places, these men
have all the depth of an oil painting. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "1776" completes the picture, as a rich and satisfying portrait. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "1776," at the Gershwin Theatre, 222 W. 51st St., New York.
Wednesday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday and Saturday, 2 p.m.; Sunday at 1 and 6
p.m. Tickets available through Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4100. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The company of the `1776' revival. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Review: Broadway &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Musical `1776' Puts More Human Face On Story Of Nation's Birth