by Jill Warnke
1776 is making its return on Broadway with a familiar twist that once again tackles diversity and inclusion.
1776 the musical, created by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone, originally premiered in 1969. The musical centers the birth of America and the lives of the founding fathers, and performed its initial run with an all white male cast. Winning three Tony Awards during its preliminary run, it was a major success. Now it’s having a revival, with a twist.
A revival of a musical uses the original book and music of a show that previously ran, but may alter other aspects of the show. In the case of the new 1776, the 2022 revival features an entirely female, non-binary, and trans cast. In this way, it is similar to the more popularly known musical, Hamilton, written by Lin Manuel Miranda, which also revolved around the founding fathers and birth of America.
Hamilton was a groundbreaking musical that premiered in 2015 on Broadway with its mostly POC cast, including the founding fathers and white historical figures portrayed. The music in Hamilton blends that of traditional musical theater with other genres such as rap, pop, and R&B. The musical was a hit success, winning 11 Tony Awards and being recognized worldwide. People have been attributing the alterations in 1776 to the accomplishments of Hamilton.
The two musicals are obviously comparable, yet there are some fundamental differences between the two. In Hamilton, the founding fathers are portrayed as men of color, but the musical fails to mention a lot of America’s history with slavery, especially the history of the founding fathers’ slave ownership.
Critics believe Hamilton glorifies the founding fathers to some extent, and disregards the slavery rooted in history or the key role it played in regards to the wealth of white Americans. However, it was still revolutionary. The unique musical style and inclusion of POC was groundbreaking, especially for an old story. It has been followed by other musicals aiming to replicate the success of Hamilton, most notably SIX the musical and the 1776 revival.
The original content of 1776 surprisingly holds up to modern standards. Though having fairly basic music, 1776 does cover areas that some may find less comfortable to talk about, confronting the topic of slavery and the faults of the founding fathers. Where Hamilton is revolutionary in concept, 1776 retains more of the darker details in American history including the faults and racism in America’s past.
The 1776 revival is the culmination of a major trend in current media. Shown in countless other revivals, a retelling of an old story gives opportunities for more diversity that wasn’t included in the original. This trend is not limited to musicals, but also seen in reboots of movies and television, or adaptations from one form of media to another.
While extremely popular, it begs the question if this method of storytelling is as fulfilling as telling original stories from modern people of color. For now though, the new cast of 1776 will perform in the Roundabout Theater knowing they have made history.
