"1776" breaks revenue records at Ford's Theatre

The musical "1776" broke box office records at Ford's Theatre.

Someone ought to open up a window. Ford's Theatre's production of musical "1776" is hot as hell, bringing in more revenue than any other show since the theater reopened in 1968.

The show appealed to audiences socially, politically, financially and naturally, grossing nearly $2 million in its run, which began in March.

D.C., the country's congressional incubator, was a natural choice for the material, which focuses on the events surrounding the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence. Authors Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone dared to put politics on paper when crafting the witty musical back in 1969. Ford's take on it closes May 19.

Clearly, the show appealed to D.C. audiences ranging from liberals to cool, cool conservative men, from students to young families.

"My strings are unstrung!" Ford's Theatre Director Paul Tetreault ? might have said if he were Thomas Jefferson's wife. Instead Tetreault released this statement: ?At Ford?s, we strive to bring American experiences to life through the intersection of history and theatre, and it has been a joy to see Washingtonians and visitors alike responding with such enthusiasm at each performance of ?1776? this spring."

Critics were a fan of the show too. Although none went so far as to proclaim, "It's a masterpiece," Washingtonian magazine, for example, awarded the production four stars.

Is anybody there who hasn't seen the production (and thus, doesn't understand its many references in this write-up)? Most remaining shows are sold out, but some tickets are available online.

Number of lyrics from "1776" that were harmed in the writing of this blog post: at least 10.

Missy Frederick covers restaurants, hospitality, arts and tourism.

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