1776 is a rather odd concept for a musical, chronicling the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It works better than it should, however, in that it gives life and character to these immensely famous names whom everyone has learned about in history class. Despite it being the tale of the Congress, the two strongest songs are saved for peripheral characters -- Martha Jefferson gets "He Plays the Violin," and an unnamed courier sings the heart-wrenching "Momma Look Sharp." The original Broadway cast recording of
1776 is very strong as a whole, with particularly notable performances by
Betty Buckley, Clifford David, and Ronald Holgate. The majority of the cast heard here went on to reprise their roles in the movie version, with the exception being the Benjamin Franklin character. Rex Everhart was the understudy who took over when Howard Da Silva was unable to complete the recording. ~ Sarah Erlewine