It’s a Grand Old Musical

One of the great musicals, “1776” is usually performed, if at all, around the Fourth of July, having to do with the events leading to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. But the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center’s production began the decade, opening New Year’s Eve and continuing through Jan. 29.

Well, great is great, and “1776” does signal the start of a new era, so why not?

What makes “1776” stand out? For one thing, it’s a musical that’s actually about something--something serious. And it has fun with the subject without diminishing it.

Amazingly, although everybody knows how it will turn out, you’re likely to find yourself rooting for the Declaration’s passage.

What the book--one of the earliest by the great Peter Stone, based on exhaustive research by Sherman Edwards--does is present the Founding Fathers as genuine people, with emotions, personal and political agendas and shortcomings (what, you think leaders who drink and womanize are a recent phenomenon?).

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If history were taught like this in school, maybe we wouldn’t have slept through so much of it.

As “1776” begins, it is early in the year and John Adams is trying to persuade the Continental Congress to revolt against England--taxation without representation and that kind of thing.

Unfortunately, all that Congress can agree on is that Adams is “obnoxious and disliked,” and when pressed, Adams can hardly disagree. So, that’s the first step: convincing Congress to participate in joint treachery.

The second step involves the writing of the Declaration itself, which has its own obstacles: Did you know that an early draft would have abolished slavery right then?

One of the things that keeps “1776” interesting, besides well-drawn characters and historical significance, is that the delegates are clearly responsible, thinking men (even the drunks) and each has a point of view that’s understandable, even to those who might not agree with it.

Edwards’ music and lyrics are fine--he co-wrote pop songs earlier in his career, including the Johnny Mathis hit “Wonderful! Wonderful!,” Sarah Vaughan’s “Broken-Hearted Melody” and Joanie Sommers’ “Johnny Get Angry”--but they take secondary importance to the Founding Fathers’ words. Indeed, there’s a great long stretch without any songs at all, and the show doesn’t have a conventional rounder of a closing number.

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On Broadway, the show was played without an intermission, although there’s one in this production.

One of the reasons “1776” isn’t done more often is that the cast is large and 25 of the 27 characters are male.

And it’s a given in community theater that actresses are easier to come by than actors.

Here, director Michael Sollazzo--who has done the show before, notably at the Camarillo Community Theatre--has come up with a largely excellent cast, featuring himself in the leading role of John Adams.

Other major characters (though there are no small roles here) include executive producer David Ralphe as Benjamin Franklin, Jeremy DiPaolo as the Virginian Richard Henry Lee, Robert Alumbaugh as Thomas Jefferson, Fred Helsel as Samuel Chase, David Meldenbauer as South Carolinian Edward Rutledge, James Esposito as the courier who arrives from time to time with discouraging front-line dispatches from George Washington, and Mark Andrew Reyes as Pennsylvania delegate and troublemaker John Dickinson.

Musical director Diann Alexander plays Abigail Adams, and, as Martha Jefferson, a part created by Betty Buckley, Ashley Yegan gets one of the show’s standout songs, “He Plays the Violin.”

DETAILS

“1776” continues at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 29 at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Ave.. Tickets to all performances are $18; $15 students and seniors; and $10 children 12 and under. For reservations or more information, call 581-9940.

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The Elite Theater Company’s production of “Eleemosynary” was canceled last weekend because of cast and crew illnesses but is scheduled to begin Friday night.

“Eleemosynary” shows at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 6 at the Petit Playhouse, 730 S. B St. in Oxnard’s Heritage Square.

Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for seniors, with group rates available.

For reservations (highly recommended) or more information, call 483-5118.

Todd Everett can be reached at teverett@concentric.net.