1776 (1969 Original Broadway Cast)

1776 has been my favorite musical for quite some time. I own this recording and recommend it without hesitation to almost anyone. Most of my favorite songs are the more humorous tunes, but there are also very good serious and dark songs throughout. It will have you humming it's tunes all through the day. Trust me, as this is very phenomenon is happening to me as I write. Buy it and you will not be disappointed. It towers far and above anything those bastards at Disney could put out.

This CD is GREAT! If you like this try the newer recording it's even better!

This CD makes history come alive, as only Broadway can. From the hilarious "Lees of Virginia" to the tragedy of "Momma Look Sharp" this CD covers the revolutionary period of our country. This vocalists are excellent!

How could this musical win the Tony award having as a competitor a play like HAIR which - for many people - stands as an emblematic theatre piece of the 60's? Who remembers a tune out of this musical? On the contrary, "Aquarius", "I Got Life" or "Walking in Space" are still popular and they play all over the world. Even ZORBA and PROMISES PROMISES - both candidates for the award in the same year - have songs that are still remembered. 1776 may wake up patriotic feelings to American listeners which is quite understandable but the music and songs are old-fashioned, overrated and awfully boring.

Oh...my...God. In my social studies class we were studying the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and my Social Studies teacher thought it would be a good idea to have us watch this musical. Being the enormous fan of Broadway that I am, I was psyched. What a let-down. I mean, really. The concept that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence because he could have sex with his wife is insulting to anyone with the least bit of patriotism. And not only that, the music was lame. It lacked variety (except for "Mama look sharp," the one decent song in the show, that didn't include Jefferson's violin screeching into uncomfortable silence).

I heard the 1997 revival of 1776 before the 1969 version, but I figured, hey, this is Broadway, they can't be THAT bad. Wrong! It's still a great musical, but 80% of this cast can't sing! My favorite song, The Lees of Old Virginia, was just butchered (if you don't believe me, listen to Track 4 at about 2 minutes into the song for a nice clip). Neither was I impressed with the man who sang the part of Thomas Jefferson. The only singer whom I liked more on this CD than the 1997 version was Betty Buckley as Martha Jefferson. These men all sing flat! I was just floored at the low vocal quality. Not to mention the really...hollow voice acting. They put no passion into the dialogue. Please don't let my low rating put you off the entire musical, however. It's brilliantly written, wonderful score, and very entertaining, but please, please, PLEASE listen to the 1997 version.

Evidence that one can make a musical about anything, Exhibit A: 1776. As one might expect, the whole concept of making a musical about the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence was greeted in the late 1960s with, well, ridicule. The show debuted on Broadway in 1969, and three years later, when its run finally ended, it was its producers who had the last laugh. In addition, it toured for an additional two years and beat out Hair (in 1969 yet!) for a Tony Award. This recording, with the original Broadway cast, includes many of the same actors who went on to star in the film, the version with which most audiences today are probably familiar. One notable exception is Rex Everhart, who replaced Howard da Silva at some performances and on this recording. But there's still William Daniels as John Adams, though in some cases his performance is more subdued than it was on film. Musically, 1776 is an odd creation, considering when it came into being. As one might expect, there's a lot of fife and drum going on, especially in the opening number and during "The Lees of Old Virginia." For those less than familiar with the plot, it hinges on the idealism of Adams, who's trying his best to back up the American Revolution with some legislative action, and spends much of his time arguing with either the Continental Congress or God, as in "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve": "A second flood, a simple famine / Plagues of locusts everywhere / Or a cataclysmic earthquake / I'd accept with some despair / But no, you sent us Congress / Good God, sir, was that fair?" (One could argue that he gets further with God.) While not entirely historically accurate, and containing some rather peculiar numbers (Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams sitting around debating what their new country's national bird is going to be ranks among the oddest), there's no questioning 1776's staying power. --Genevieve Williams