Search - Sherman Edwards, 1776 Pit Orchestra, Danny Marcus :: 1776: The New Broadway Cast Recording (1997)

From Skeptic to Fan in one listen

Zack Davisson | Seattle, WA, USA | 06/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was surprised at how much I liked "1776." The concept (a musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence) seems so ludicrous at first, that I was sure it must be a bad musical. I was wrong, wrong, wrong.The CD hooked me first, with the musicals elegant tunes and poignant lyrics. The excitement of this period is fully captured in the characters and story. "1776" manages that rare blend of comedy, drama and romance. Historical characters that I had never thought much of come alive, without mockery.I have no particular attachment to Brent Spiner or Pat Hingle, and I have never heard the original recording. I felt that both men sang proudly and well. Their voices did justice to the songs and the story. After loving the CD so much, I had the chance to see "1776" performed. Wow! It's a great musical."

Excellent!!!!

Moon Girl | Brick, NJ USA | 04/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my absolute favorite musical, ever! The characters are wonderful interpretations of the members of the 2nd Continental Congress, and the history in the show is surprisingly accurate. I have both this version and the original, and it's hard to decide which one is better. I must admitt, John Cullum is the best Edward Rutledge, even though Gregg Edleman does a wonderful job, and Ronald Holgate will always be Richard Henry Lee to me. William Daniels and Brent Spiner are almost equal. All in all, this is a wonderful CD, for anyone interested in the history of our nation, or just in a funny and thought-provoking musical."

My "Compliments" on this cast album's track additions

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 09/29/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I celebrate every 4th of July by watching my laser disc restored version of "1776" and finally got the chance last year to see the musical when it came to town. The touring company was a result of the 1997 Broadway revival and I finally got around to picking up the CD. I too have nothing to fault with Brent Spiner's performance as John Adams aside from the fact that he is not William Daniels, which is not meant as a slight to the former but simply a restatement of the fact that the latter's performance was one of those perfect unions of performer and performance that happily happens from time to time in Broadway musicals. Listening to Daniels do "Is Anybody There?" is one of a choice handful of tracks I can listen to that will get me teary eyed. So what is special about this revival cast album is that it includes, unlike the original, Linda Emond as Abigail Adams singing "Compliments." I do not even bother trying to explain it anymore, but anytime I am listening or watching this musical and she starts to sing "I am, as I have always been...," I get emotional. So the first time I listened to "Compliments" on this CD the tears were rolling down my cheeks. I also appreciate all of the other little additions, both musically and in terms of dialogue, that are included on this cast album. As with most revival casts the performances fall both below and above the originals. Pat Hingle is a fine character actor, but I think he is simply miscast as Benjamin Franklin. On the flip side of the coin I think Gregg Edelman as Edward Rutledge and Paul Michael Valley as Thomas Jefferson are improvements on the originals. I even like this version of "The Lees of Old Virginia" by Merwin Foard, and it is the one song in the show that usually grates on my nerves. Why anybody would have ever thought the story of the Founding Fathers haggling over the Declaration of Independence would work as a Broadway musical is beyond me, but Sherman Edwards (music & lyrics) and Peter Stone (book) most definitely pull it off. Few musicals can claim to be as educational as this one, while being as entertaining with a mix of humor ("But Mr. Adams" and "The Egg") and pathos ("Momma Look Sharp" and "Molasses to Rum"). So, overall, while not as good as the original, this version of "1776" certainly has its moments."