Independence Day Multi-Media

The 4th of July may be the date, but the holiday is Independence Day.

Now that we have that clear: Here are a couple of a few several vignettes from 1776, one of my favorite musicals.

Not a show that gets a lot of respect, considering it's material. Still, while there are inaccuracies--see the Wiki article above--there are quite a few gems in there. Much of the dialog is based on material taken directly from diaries and journals.

From the 1972 movie version, William Daniels as John Adams singing "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve." Not much difference between the Second Continental Congress and the 110th Congress of today...



In my favorite song of the musical, "Look Sharp", General Washington's courier to Congress recalls the day he fought with his childhood friends at Lexington and Concord.



A reminder of the price that was and is paid for freedom.
(This video was obviously filmed in a dark theater at a live performance. That does not detract from the poignancy or the power of the song.)

"Editing the Declaration." (No music here.)



"This is a revolution, dammit, we have to offend somebody!"

And a photo montage with Mr. Daniels, again, singing "Is Anybody There?"



Hardly showcases Mr. Daniels singing voice, but then, this was a play (and a movie) for "actors who could sing, not singers who can act." (Which I was told years ago was the formula for "La Boheme", by the way.)

If I was offered a part in 1776, I would want John Adams, but I'm too tall, they would have to get a pro basketball player to play Thomas Jefferson. I'm also not stout enough to play "His Rotundity"; although I believe that sobriquet dated from later in his life, he was not exactly athletic at this point.
Or the courier: The scene where he sings "Look Sharp" has his only spoken (or sung) lines, but he steals the show.

Other posts: April Morning and Patriot's Day.