Media Archive

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (associate justice-designate of the U.S. Supreme Court) attended the May 26 opening performance of 1776. A photo of Judge Jackson at her Supreme Court Senate confirmation hearings provided inspiration for one of the new production’s opening tableaus, and her presence was particularly meaningful.

Finding something new—and true—bring to a portrayal of historical figures as well-known as Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock is a challenge. But for the actors in the cross-gendered and racially diverse revival of the beloved musical “1776,” …history has proved a tool as well as a burden.

Mia Neal, the hair, wig and makeup designer who recently won an Oscar for her work on “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” is used to creating elaborate styles for dramatized characters. But in this vision of “1776,” keeping the actors aesthetically close to their own styles was important.

Sosa wanted to capture history in his costumes. At the same time, he wanted them to speak to the personalities of the performers and the complex legacy of both 1776 the year and “1776” the Broadway musical… “This isn’t a museum piece…It lives in the now even if we are telling the story of an event.”