54 Sings 1776

54 Sings 1776

Feinstein’s/54 Below, NYC, July 4, 2016

Reviewed by Joel Benjamin for Cabaret Scenes

The 54 Sings 1776 has become a welcome July 4th ritual at Feinstein’s/54 Below. The musical—songs by Sherman Edwards and libretto by Peter Stone—is a celebration of the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence by the contentious members of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Although it diddles a bit with history, the basic facts ring true and it is a stirring, funny and ultimately moving paean to America and the foibles of its signers

Unusual for a musical, there was a half hour of dialogue between two of the songs at one point during the original Broadway show (!), just one of the “fun facts” that host Rob Maitner revealed along with a veritable litany of production stories about casting, the writing of the songs, Tony Award dissension and changes in the cast along the way.

The formidable cast: Michael McCormick, as John Adams, Tally Sessions as William Henry Lee, Kyle Barisch as a handsome, romantic Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Marcus as a droll Benjamin Franklin, Maitner as Robert Livingston, Autumn Hurlbert as Martha Jefferson, Jacob Hoffman very moving as the Messenger (“Momma, Look Sharp”), Paul Michael Valley as John Dickinson, Brian Charles Rooney as Edward Rutledge, Patrick Mellen and Mick Bleyer in various roles and Lucia Spina, who directed, as a lustrous-voiced Abigail Adams.

After a rousing “Overture,” played by “the Betsy Ross Sextet,” “Sit Down, John” found McCormick onstage, the rest of the cast blasting at him from the audience, followed by Adams’ grumbling about his fellow Congressmen, “Piddle Twiddle.” His softer side was exposed in his tender duets with Abigail: “Till Then” and “Yours, Yours, Yours.” 

Sessions was more rock star than buffoon in “The Lees of Old Virginia.” Rooney was riveting in the blame-game history lesson, “Molasses to Rum.” Hurlbert’s swooning “He Plays the Violin” was absolutely lovely.

The entire cast was fantastic, with McCormick’s charismatic Adams the best of the best. 

Jacob Yates led the large band with verve and wit.

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Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews, Regional