'1776' brings framers to life

"1776," Rodgers Memorial Theatre, Centerville, through June 30 (phone: 298-1302), running time: two hours, 35 minutes (one intermission)

CENTERVILLE — This Broadway musical about framing of the Declaration of Independence takes on some new insights with Rodgers Memorial Theatre's innovative staging. "Framing" is the operative word here.

Director-choreographer Kim Madsen and her son Josh, who is assistant director and set designer, had the wings and back of the venue's somewhat small stage gutted, replacing the walls with an assortment of picture frames — some life-size, others in a variety of shapes and sizes.

There's a short prologue — not part of the original musical — with a docent telling Philadelphia museum visitors (the audience) that this particular room, devoted to the writing and adoption of the Declaration of Independence, is her favorite stop on the tour.

"I wonder," she says, "about the drama surrounding that event." After which the stage comes to life with delegates to the Continental Congress hashing out the Colonies' future in the stifling Pennsylvania heat.

Peter Stone's script and Sherman Edwards' music and lyrics propel the historic drama along. They've taken some theatrical liberties, but the music is so energizing and the dialogue — much of it based on journals from the period — turns this "history lesson" into a wildly enjoyable ride.

The Friday cast, most of whom also perform on Mondays and Wednesdays, was as good as any I've seen. Particular standouts were Dave Hill, who will make you think Benjamin Franklin has been cloned, Dave Petersen as John Adams and Benjamin Christian Plowman as Thomas Jefferson, who were reluctantly recruited to draft the history-changing document.

These three alone make a trip to Centerville more than worthwhile. And they're joined by a terrific ensemble, including Laurel Aposhian Warr as the frustrated Abigail Adams, Brian Hahn as Richard Henry Lee, Scott VanDyke as slave advocate Edward Rutledge and Sharon Kibbie as Martha Jefferson.

"1776" is a huge undertaking for any theater company, but even more difficult in an intimate space like the Rodgers. But that intimacy succeeds in drawing you right into the tale, thanks largely to the excellent work by Kim and Josh Madsen.

Sensitivity rating: A small amount of profanity. Franklin and Adams have humorous comments about Martha Jefferson's visiting her husband, Thomas, but it's not offensive.

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E-mail: ivan@desnews.com