1776 Libretto

LIB RET T 0

and

PRINCIPAL - CHORUS VOCAL BOOK

STUART OSTROW

Presents

America's Award Winning Musical

Book by: PETER STONE

Music and Lyrics by:SHERMAN EDWARDS

Best MusicalNew York Drama critics Circle Award 1968-69

Tony Award 1968-69

Property of:MUSIC THEATRE INTERlf\TIONALNew

119 West 57th Street York, New York 10019

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Members of the Continental Congress PresidentJOHN

Secretary:CHARLES THOMSON

'New HampshireDR. JOSIAH BARTLETT

CustodianANDREW McNAIR

I1assachusettsJOHN ADAMS

ABIGAIL ADAMS

Rhode IslandSTEPHEN HOPKINS

MARTHA JEFFERSON A LEATHER APRON ,1\ PAINTER

Connecticut ROGER SHERMAN New YorkLEtJVIS ivlORRIS ROBERT LIVINGSTON

A COURIER

New JerseyREV. JONATHAN WITHERSPOON

pennsylvania BENJM1IN FRANKLIN JOHN DICKINSON JAMES t"lILSON DelawareCAESAR RODNEY COL. THOH1\S 14cKEAN

GEORGE READ

MarylandCHASE

VirginiaRICHARD HENRY LEE

THOMAS JEFFERSONJOSEPH

North Carolina HEWES

South Carolina EDt-lARD RUTLEDGE GeorgiaDR. LYliAlil HALL

THE PLACEA single setting representing the Chamber and an Anteroom of the Continental Congress, a Mall, High Street, and Thomas Jefferson's Room, in Philadelphia; and certain reaches of John Adams' mind.

THE TIME

May, June and July, 1776.

THE

SCENES

1.

The Chamber of the Continental CongressThe Mall

2.3.

The Chamber Thomas Jefferson's Room and High Street The Chamber A Congressional Anteroom The Chamber

-4.

5. 6. 7.

* * * * *NOTE: The action is continuous, without intermission ..(or may be played in Two Acts

as indicated in the script).

THE MUS I CAL NUMBERS

Scene 1: "FOR GOD'S SAKE, JOHN, SIT DOWN" "PIDDLE, cr'WIDDLEu "TILL THEN tI

Adams

The Congress Adams Adams" Abigailk

Scene 2:"THE

LEES OF OLD VIRGINIA II

Lee, Franklin k Adams

Scene 3: "BUT, MR, ADAMS --

II

Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Sherman " Livingston

Scene 4: "YOURS, YOURS, YOURS II Adams " Abigail "HE PLAYS THE VIOLIN" Martha, Franklin " Adams

Sene 5: "COOL, COOL CONSIDERATE MEN II IlMOMMA LOOK Sr1ARPIf

Dickinson k The conservatives Courier

Scene 6:liTHE

EGG" Franklin, Adams, Jefferson " Congress

Scene 7: "MOLASSES TO RUM II Rutledge "COMPLIMENTS" Abigail illS ANYBODY THER.E?" Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, ThompsonI

1-1

Scene 1

In front of the Curtain:JOHN

I have corne to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace -- that two are called a law-firm -and that three or more become a Congress. And by God, I have had this Congress! For ten years King George and his Parliament have gulled, cullied and diddled these Colonies with their illegal taxes -- Stamp Acts, Townshend Acts, Sugar Acts, Tea Acts -- and when we dared stand up like men they stopped our trade, seized our ships, blockaded our ports, burned our towns and spilled our blood -- and still this Congress won't-grant any of my proposals on Independence even so much as the courtesy of open debate! Good God, what in hell are they waiting for?! (The Curtain flies up to reveal: The of the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. AT RISE: CONGRESS is in session, sweltering in the heat of a premature sumnler's eveningo A large day-byday ",l1al1 calendar reads 8. II CONGRESS

(Singing)SIT SIT JOHN!

Jom\! 1 FOR GOD'S SAKE, JOHN, SIT DOWN!S ttl' DOUN, JOHN! SIT DOWN, JOHN! FOR GODIS SAKE, SIT DOWN!

VOICESO!-1EONE OUGHT TO OPEN UP A

CONGRESS IT'S NINETY DEGREES! HAVE JOHN, PLEASE 1 IT'S HOT AS HELL IN PHILADEL -- PHIAl

1-2

TWO VOICES SOMEONE OUGHT TO OPEN UP A WINDOW! I SAY "VOTE YESI" IIVOTE YES1" VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCY! SOMEONE OUGHT TOI SAY VOTE "YES 1'1JOHN

CONGRESS lIA u UP A WINDOW!JOHN

SIT DOWN, JOHN!

CONGRESS JOHNIt

VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCY!

VOICE FR0i4 CONGRESS SOl/lEONE OUGHT TO OPEN UP A WINDOW 1 CONGRESS liB" NO! NO.! TOO FLIES 1 TOO I,\1ANY FLIES! NO!

B II

CONGRESS "A" BUT IT'S HOT AS HELL IN PHILADEL -- PHIA a ! VOICES FROU CONGRESS "A" ARE YOU GOING TO OPEN UP A WINDOW? CAN'T tiJE CONGRESS IIA" ? JOHN CONGRESS UB II NO I TOO HAblY FLIES HERE ..... VOTE "YESl lI JOHN

VOTE "YESl"

CONGRESS (FULL) OH, FOR GOD'S SAKE, JOHN, SIT DOrJN 1(THEY

freeze)

1-3JOHN (Spoken; roaring) Good God!! Consider yourselves fortunate that you have John Adams to abuse for no sane man would tolerate it! CONGRESS (Action resumes) JOHN, YOU'RE A BORE! WE'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE1 NOW, FOR GOD'S SAKE, JOHN, SIT DOtVl'l!!

I SAY "VOTE YESlNOt!

JOHNlt

S01'1E VOICES JOHN CONGRESS (FULLNO! ! JOHN

VOTE "YES!II

VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCY CONGRESS ItA u SOMEONE OUGHT TO OPEN UP A WIWDOW!JOHN

I SAY VQTE "YES! II

.SIT DOtvN,

CONGRESS (FULL)JOHi" 1

JOHN VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCY.!!WILL SOMEONE SHUT THAT iIAN UP! 1

VOICE

Never 1

Never! .

(Spo,\Cen)

JORi"

(HE storms from the Chamber, coming downstage, and looks to Heaven forguidance)i

Dear Godl For one solid year they have been sitting there -- for one year! Doing nothing!

1-4

JOHi\l (Continued) (Singing) I DO BELIEVE YOU'VE LAID A CURSE ON NORTH &villRICA I A CURSE TEAT WE HERE NOW REHEARSE IN PHILADELPHIA 1 A SECOND FLOOD, A FAMINE, PLAGUES OF LOCUSTS EVERn1HERE, OR A CATACLYSMIC EARTHQUAKE, I' D ACCEPT l'1ITH SOlIE DESPAIR .. BUT, NO, YOU'VE SENT US CONGRESS GOOD GOD, SIR, WAS THAT FAIR? I SAY THIS WITH HUMILITY IN PHILADELPHIA 1 WE'RE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IN PHILADELPHIA ! IF YOU DON'T UAUT TO SEE US HANGING ON SONE FAR OFF BRITISH HILL IF YOU DON'T THE VOICE OF INDEPENDENCY FOREVER STILL, THEN, GOD, SIR, GET THEE TO ! FOR CONGRESS NEVER WILLI YOU SEE t'lE PIDDLE, TWIDDLE, AND RESOLVE. NOT ONE THING DO WE SOLVE. PIDDLE, TWIDDLE, AND RESOLVE NOTaING'S EVER SOLVED IN FOUL, FETID, FUHING, FOGGY, FILTHY PHILADELPHIA! (From the Chamber, rear, the VOICES of various CONGRESSMEN can be heard) SOMEONE OUGHT TO OPEN UP A WINDOW! (Spoken) Oh, shut up!JOHN VOICE

COi-lGRESSi,lAN

(HANCOCK)

I now call the Congress' attention to the petition of Mr. Melchior who claims twenty dollars compensation for' his dead mule. It seems the animal was employed transporting luggage in the service of the Congress. #2 i(WILSON) The question, then, would appear to be one of occasion, for if the mule expired, not while carrying, but after being' unloaded, then surely the beast dropped dead on its own time!

1-5JOHN Good God!! ---- --- (Singing)

THEY MAY SIT HERE FOR YEARS AND YEARS IN PHILADELPHIA .. ! THESE INDECISIVE GRENADIERS OF PHILADELPHIA 1 THEY CAN'T AGREE ON WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG OR WHAT IS GOOD OR BAD. I'M CONVINCED THE ONLY PURPOSE THIS CONGRESS EVER HAD .. WAS TOGATHER HERE, SPECIFICALLY, TO DRIVE JOHN

YOU SEE PIDDLE, TWIDDLE AND RESOLVE. NOT ONE DM1NED THING DO WE SOLVE. PIDDLE, TWIDDLE AND RESOLVE NOTHING'S EVER SOLVED IN FOUL, FETID, FUMING, FOGGY, FILTHY PHILADELPHI -(ABIGAIL ADANS, JOHN's wife, a handsome woman of 32, now appears in JOHN's imagination and interrupts) JOHN, JOHN! IS THAT YOU CARRYING ON, JOHN? JOHN (Spoken) Oh, Abigail! Abigail heads together!

ABIGAIL

I have such a desire to knock

ABIGAIL I.know, my dearest. I know. But that's because you make everything so complicated. It-' s all quite simple, really: (Singing) TELL THE CONGRESS TO DECLARE THEN SIGN YOUR NAJ.I1E, GET OUT OF THERE, AND HURRY HOi.lE TO dE! OUR CHILDREN ALL HAVE DYSENTERY, LITTLE KEEPS DLUE. LITTLE ABBY HAS THE MEASLES AND liN COHING DOWN \'lITH FLU.

INDEPENDENCY!

THEY SAY WE MAY GET JOHN(Spoken) Madame, what else is new?

(MUSIC under)

1-6

JOHN (Continued) Abigail, in my last letter I told you that the king has collected twelve thousand German mercenaries to send against us -- I asked you to organize the ladies and make saltpetre for gunpowQer -- have you done as I asked?No, John, I have not.Why have you not? ABIGAILJOHi-J

Because you neglected to tell us now saltpetre is made.JOHi.-J

A13IGAIL

(Impatient) By treating sodium nitrate with potassium chloride, of course!(A woman) Oh, yes -- of course.JOHi..J

Will it be done, then?ABIGAIL

I'm afraid we have a more urgent problem, John. More urgent, Madame?ABIGAIL

(Singing)THERE 1 S Ol'IE THli.'iG EVbRY IS J.iISSE..D Ii.\I BAY DON'T SUIRK AT"I"lE, YOU bGOTIST, PAY

TO WHAT I SAYl WE'VE GONE FROM AND CANNOT h Plcl.II DON , T YOU THERE IS A SAYS EACH 'l'RADESHAN HI'I'H A 'WELL! WE WILL NOT SALTPETRE

TO BOSTONIi

UNTIL YOU SEND US PINS! JOHNPIl.JS I i,1ADAiv 1E? SALTPETRE!

ABIGAIL

PINSI

1-7

(Alternating)SALTPETRE!

JOHN & ABIGAIL

PINS!SALTPETRE 1

PINS1SALTPB'rRC: !

PINSl 'PETRElPli.\lS!

PE'rREl PETREl

PINS! PINSJPINS!

(Spoken) Done, Hadamel Done I Done, John. (Smiling) Hurry home, John -As soon as I'm able.ABIGAIL

JOt:l.i.'JABIGAIL

Don't stop writing -- it's all I have. JOHlSr Every day, my dearest. friend. (Singing)'TIL THEN

ABIGAIL

...

& JOI:h4

'TIL THEN " I Ai-i, AS I EVER WAS, Al\lD EVER SHALL b

YOURS YOURS .... YOURS YOURS YOURS JOHNSALTPETRE

(Throws a kiss) JOHN.

1-8 ABIGAIL PINS . (Throws a ki S5) ABIGAIL.(SHE goes)

CONGRESS FOR GOD1S SAKE, JOaN SIT DOv'JN

!

(JOHN turns, waves them off in disgust, then crosses) JOHN (Calling) Franklin -- I