Fire the cannons and ring the bells for Maine State Music Theater's 2026 production of "1776" in honor of our country's 250th anniversary. Huzzahs to the cast, Director Amber Mak and Choreographer Christopher Page-Sanders, set designers, props crew ... it’s an extensive list.

It was just over one week ago that I finally saw this musical on stage. I've seen the film version many, many times since its theater release in 1972; in a high school history class my senior year (my English teacher had been a history teacher and blended the two subjects together whenever she could!); and eventually on TV.

But never live; certainly not during its run on Broadway (March 1969 - February 1972). Did you know "1776" is a Tony Award winner? Yes indeed: Best Musical, Best Director of a Musical (Peter Hunt) and Best Performance By An Actor In A Musical (Ronald Holgate).

Even those of you who are not as obsessed as I have been since reading "Paul Revere and the World He Lived In" when I was 11. It took awhile, but with the family Merriam-Webster dictionary by my side, and two or three renewals from the school library, I finished it; but my fascination with the Revolutionary War didn't end when I closed the book.

There are performances and scenes that linger in the memories of each audience member long after the curtain call. And, in the case of this show, a standing ovation.

Each actor embodied their character so convincingly I thought it a true labor of love for them all. And in keeping with my committment to being more Hemingway than Michener, I'll get right to the performances that affected my experience.

James Patterson as John Adams. While it is true I have always admired Adams, Patterson’s portrayal had me believing he did as well. We saw and felt Adams’ passion and unrelenting conviction that the fight for independence from the rule of King George III was necessary.

I have often wondered if Thomas Jefferson would have written our Declaration of Independence were it not for the selection of Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston, appointed by the members of the 2nd Continental Congress to draft the document.

I think we can be fairly certain, however, if Adams had not relented on the South’s demands for the removal of any passages in the Declaration of Independence regarding slavery we would not be celebrating today.  Yes, James Patterson brought the passion driving Adams to us.

I have also always admired Adams’ relationship with wife Abigail (Alicia Kaori). If you have had the chance to read their letters published in 2021, you will be familiar with his seeking her opinions about the cause, politics and all manner of issues. They were, I believe, equals in that way with respect, as well as love, for each other, not typical in all households of the time. Kaori and Patterson demonstrated this relationship with great heart, and believably.

Everyone’s MSMT favorite, Curt Dale Clark, delivered the larger than life Richard Henry Lee with all of the gusto, bravado, and booming voice the Virginian is known for, most “exceptiona-lee.”

 Quinn Corcoran (Thomas Jefferson) and Liz Leclerc (Martha Jefferson) are magic on stage. And Martha’s song and dance with Adams and Benjamin Franklin (John Treacy Egan), is sure to bring a smile to your face as it did my own. The gaiety in their dancing still lives on for me. 

Matthew Hommell. I’ve saved his tour de force performance of South Carolinian Edward Rutledge’s song “Molasses To Rum” for last. While he performed this song I truly believe I stopped breathing a few times, such was my awe of Hommell’s performance. The lyrics drive home the Southern colonies’ dependence on slavery for their economic survival and Hommell’s passion-driven performance leaves little doubt the South will not vote yea if Jefferson’s passage in the Declaration, from referring to the slave trade as “a cruel war against human nature itself,” and his condemnation of King George III and his “open market where men are bought and sold.” Yet, as we are all aware, women and children were also bought, sold, and separated. 

If you do not have tickets for this show – get them. There is still time.  If you’ve never seen “1776” – you must. It’s an experience every one in America, everyone, should have at least once.

“1776” runs through July 11. For tickets and more information, visit https://msmt.org/