PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There are a lot of retellings of history in Philadelphia, but none are quite like the revival of the Broadway musical, “1776.”
The original 1969 production portrayed the writing of the Declaration of Independence as it really happened: with only white men in the room. But in this revival, creators cast women and non-binary actors, people of color and people within the LGBTQ community in those roles.
“Every single person in our cast would be someone not allowed inside Independence Hall,” said “1776” co-director Diane Paulus.
Paulus was drawn to the show because it tells a version of the story regarding slavery that many people may not know.
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson originally wrote a section addressing slave labor, but Congress could not come to a unanimous agreement on independence from Great Britain until that section was cut.
“I almost fell out of my chair because I actually thought, why didn't I know this?” Paulus said. “It made me understand more clearly and more in my gut why we are where we are — this original sin kind of being shoved under the floorboards.”
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Native American singer Brooke Simpson performed in the show on Broadway and is continuing on tour. She said thinking about her ancestors in the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe while hearing and reciting the words that the Founding Fathers said brings up mixed emotions for her.
“It's challenging but, also, I think that's what our whole history is,” Simpson said. “It's something that we have to wrestle with.”
The first national tour of this revival is kicking off in Philadelphia, where its story takes place.
“I think it's going to hit really different in Philly,” Simpson said. “Thinking of our opening number and singing about being in Philadelphia and actually being there, I think the energy is going to be insane in the room.”
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Paulus said she is excited for the opening number.
“There's a moment early in the production where we put a projection up and we enter the history of being there in Philadelphia. I can't wait to do it here in this city and just feel the presence of that.”
The show will be at the Forrest Theatre from Feb. 14 - 26.
Tickets and more information about the musical can be found here.