The Town & Gown Players opens its 64th season celebrating the spirit of the Revolutionary era with the musical, 1776. The book by Peter Stone, music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards, direction by Justin Sanders and musical direction by Rachel Townes gives witness to the birth of a nation as our forefathers struggle to craft the Declaration of Independence.
This seminal event in American history blazes to vivid life in a musical re-creation of the proceedings in Philadelphia from May 8 to July 4, 1776 when the second Continental Congress argued over independence and struggled to craft the Declaration of Independence. A truly American musical, 1776 puts a human face on the pages of history as our proud, petty, uncertain and ultimately noble forefathers determine to do the right thing for our fledgling nation.
1776 premiered on Broadway in 1969, earning warm reviews, and ran for 1,217 performances. The production was nominated for five Tony Awards and won three, including the Tony Award for Best Musical. In 1972 it was made into a film adaptation. It was revived on Broadway in 1997 and enjoyed a City Center “Encores!” run in spring 2016.
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- Performances October 7-16, 2016
- Curtain rises at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Athens Community Theater behind the Taylor-Grady House on Grady Avenue.
- Tickets are $18 and $15 with $10 student price on Thursday, October 13th. Online: https://www.showclix.com/event/townandgown1776. Phone: 706/208-8696.
- Special Event: Register to vote during the first weekend of the show.
Photograph courtesy of Matt Hardy Photography
Special Thanks to The Athens Welcome Center for allowing us the use of The Church-Waddell-Brumby House for the photographs
