Strong Moments, Slow March in EPAC’s 1776
The musical 1776 was destined to appear prodigiously throughout the summer of 2026 as the United States celebrated its 250th birthday, and productions have sprung up across the region. The show—music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards, book by Peter Stone—premiered on Broadway in 1969 and centers on John Adams’ efforts to persuade the Second Continental Congress to write, vote for and sign, the Declaration of Independence.
Recent revivals have reimagined the traditionally male dominated story by casting performers who identify as female, non binary, and trans, an attempt to counter the patriarchal notion that “all men are created equal” and instead reflect the broader fabric of the American people. That is the approach taken by the Ephrata Performing Arts Center’s production, directed by Bobby Checchia with musical direction by Matthew C. Kidd and choreography by Sarah Reynolds.
1776 has always been a paradox: how do you craft a compelling musical when everyone already knows the ending? Act I, famously wordy, often feels interminable, and while the score contains a few rousing numbers, it offers no truly memorable hits. With a progressive casting concept layered on top, there’s an added risk that the show becomes overly complicated or muddled.
The EPAC cast brings dedication and occasional spark, but they cannot fully overcome the show’s structural challenges; the musical is fundamentally about indecision, and the writers never quite determined whether they were crafting a comedy, a historical drama, or a piece of political suspense. Likewise, the performances show promise but rarely achieve full dramatic lift. The production feels weighed down, as though a pall hangs over the theatre—talented actors unable to fully release into the material.
A few performers stand out. Sean Caldwell brings abrasive, needling force to John Adams, supplying much needed sparks of energy throughout; his singing is among the production’s highlights. Ryan Slusky’s Edward Rutledge is chilling in his Southern defense of slavery, and his “Molasses to Rum” gives the musical a jolt of emotional clarity, illuminating the stakes of the young republic’s moral contradictions.
Similarly, Kat Thorpe’s Courier offers a tender, haunting “Mama, Look Sharp,” asserting the human cost of war. Yet this is also a moment where the casting concept may dull the impact: the song centers on a young boy shot down and his mother’s desperate search for him, and having it sung by a female softens the historical specificity and the intended emotional punch.
Susan Kresge delivers a bawdy and irreverent, yet wise Benjamin Franklin, and Sean Reynolds’ Thomas Jefferson is amusing in his recalcitrant reluctance. Carlos Kohls’ Richard Henry Lee delivers a buoyant “The Lees of Old Virginia.”
But despite these standout moments, Checchia’s direction never fully animates the musical’s long stretches of dialogue. With the dialogue frequently dragging, at times the production loses its urgency and momentum.
Ephrata Performing Arts Center
1776
Runs through August 1, 2026
Review submitted by:
Franklin Joseph
Author’s Bio:
Franklin Joseph is an avid theatre goer who takes delight in the active theatre arts community of the southeast Pennsylvania region.
