When this Tony-winning musical about the signing of our nation's Declaration of Independence premiered in 1969, the nation was widely divided over the Vietnam War, college riots were rampant, and civil rights battles continued. A patriotic paean to freedom seemed the right message at the right time. With a multiplicity of woes still plaguing our nation, perhaps we need this exuberant flag-waving show now more than ever. Performance Riverside apparently agrees; the company's rousing rendition of this classic brims with dramaturgic and musical riches.
The remarkable thing about this tuner by Sherman Edwards (score) and Peter Stone (book) is how it marched to its own distinctive beat in an era of Broadway fluff. How many other book musicals dare to defy genre conventions by allowing tense dramatic scenes to run 25 minutes or longer without stopping for a musical number? Although the engaging score scarcely breaks new ground in its mix of romantic ballads, vaudevillian bits, and powerful anthems, the subject matter is uncommonly literate, and the characters are so skillfully written that acting prowess is almost more crucial than singing ability. Director Nick DeGruccio seamlessly integrates the show's tricky stylistic shifts, guiding a uniformly first-rate ensemble.
In the focal role of Congressman John Adams, Steve Glaudini deftly captures the humorous aspects of this passionate but "obnoxious and disliked" political activist. He also sings divinely, at his finest in the mesmerizing climactic number, "Is Anybody There?" Nils Anderson's sublimely etched Benjamin Franklin seems to have stepped right out of the pages of a history book. The sight of this bespectacled, long-haired codger kicking up his gout-inflicted heels in soft-shoe routines is priceless. Robert Standley excels as the strong-willed John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, who vehemently opposes the proposed revolution. The charismatic Sean Cox imbues the spirited Richard Henry Lee of Virginia with the expected brio, and David S. Humphrey's Thomas Jefferson is likewise memorably delineated. In big tour-de-force numbers, Stan Chandler, as the anti-abolitionist Southerner Edward Rutledge, gives a chilling interpretation of "Molasses to Rum," and Brian Crano's delivery of "Momma Look Sharp," the poignant battlefield recollections of a terrified soldier, is masterful.
Space prohibits listing all the exemplary male performances, but it's unthinkable to not acknowledge the brief but stellar contributions of the sweet-voiced pair of political wives: Jill Van Velzer as feisty Abigail Adams and Shannon Watson as dutiful Martha Jefferson. They sparkle in their respective numbers "Till Then" and "He Plays the Violin."
DeGruccio caps off the triumph with one of the most artful physical designs yet seen at Riverside. The Set Company provides a tasteful and lovely scenic design, with the sprawling Continental Congress chambers as the centerpiece. The costumes from the Starlight Musical Theatre are lush and authentic-looking, and Steven Young's gorgeous lighting effects expertly tune into the moods of each scene. Don Le Master's music direction and conducting are impeccable. The venerable Performance Riverside company appears to be on a roll this season.