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JULY 2010 HEALTH & HAPPINESS 70 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT : ON STAGE WRITTEN BY JEENA LIM A MUSICAL DECLARATION Musical Theatre West, Southern California's premiere musical theater company, has a 57-year history of producing high quality theater performances. Many of the performers who got their start with the company have gone on to perform in regional productions all over the country, as well as performing on Broadway. From new works and world premiere theatrical events to more established works, the non- profit theater has also developed a strong youth program. Under the leadership of Executive Director/ Producer Paul Garman, the company has won 21 Ovation Awards and the Margaret Hartford Award for Sustained Excellence in Theater. The theater began as the Whittier Civic Light Opera and has since turned into one of Southern California's most respected musical theater companies. They have made this city its exclusive home since 1999, and in doing so, has become a vital part of the local performing arts community. In its latest endeavor, Musical Theatre West is introducing the musical theater production of 1776. The musical had its debut on Broadway in 1969. It features lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Pete Stone (My One and Only, Sugar, Titanic). The musical originally took almost 10 years to produce, with Edwards getting rejected by numerous Broadway producers until Stuart Ostrow agreed to take on the challenge. When it opened on March 16, 1969, the musical got rave critical reviews with full- house audiences. Running for an impressive 1,217 performances, the original production closed on February 13, 1972. A film version was released in 1972, and the musical was revived on Broadway in 1997 at the Roundabout Theater. 1776, based on events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was nominated for five Tony awards and won three, including best musical. It has been regarded as a perfect family theater experience and an ideal tribute for the up-coming Fourth of July holiday, as it deals with the founding of our nation. The musical features such songs as "Sit Down John", "Till Then", "Yours, Yours, Yours", and "He Plays the Violin." Taken from letters and memoirs of the actual participants and events of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, 1776 depicts Continental Congressmen John Adams and Benjamin Franklin coercing Thomas Jefferson into writing the Declaration of Independence. The plot centers on the persuasion of the American colonies to support a Resolution on Independence, which was a monumental turning point in our country's history. Some businessmen, landowners and slave-holders in Congress opposed the Declaration, and one single "nay" vote would have forever ended the question: Will America become independent? 1776 will have a stellar cast of top Broadway musical theater performers in the lead roles, including Davis Gaines, who starred in the Los Angeles production of The Phantom of the Opera. In Phantom, Gaines played the title role over 2,000 times, to five million people when the musical ran on Broadway, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Gaines will be playing the role of Richard Henry Lee. The cast also features Tami Tappan Damiano (MTW's The Full Monty, Never Gonna Dance) in the role of Abigail Adams, and Steven Glaudini will reprise his 2004 Ovation Award-winning role as John Adams. Ovation Award-winner Nick DeGruccio (Rent, The Andrews Brothers) directs this highly anticipated production of 1776. Musical Theatre West performances are held at the beautiful 1070-seat Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of CSULB. Tickets are available now and can be purchased through the box office at 562.856.1999 x4. Visit musical.org for more information on both the current, past and future seasons at Musical Theatre West. n Visit musical.org for more information on both the current, past and future seasons at Musical Theatre West. Photo courtesy of Performance Riverside.