John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and the whole gang become musical theater stars in 1776, a show that won the Tony Award for Best Musical back in 1969. It will be the opening show of A.C.T.'s 2013-2014 season later this month. 

The musical, written by Sherman Edwards with a book by Peter Stone, depicts the events surrounding the composition and signing of the Declaration of Independence over 235 years ago, and it was most recently revived on Broadway in 1997. The latest production, directed by Frank Galati, premiered at the Asolo Repertory Theater in Sarasota, Florida last fall, and that's where A.C.T. artistic director Carey Perloff was inspired to bring it to SF. As Perloff says, "When I saw [Galati's production]... I felt sure it would play beautifully for Bay Area audiences, who love a good argument almost as much as they love a great song. Galati’s 1776 has all of this and more–it is a truly literate, hilarious, and tough-minded play with music, deeply engaging whether you love arguing politics or are more interested in outsized personalities."

The production features 15 local actors who are all new to the musical, and it's a show we ourselves have never seen or heard, so we're pretty excited about it.

The first preview is next week, Wednesday, September 11, and that also happens to be a special Bike to the Theater night with bike valet provided by the S.F. Bicycle Coalition, as well as discounted tickets. Regular performances begin September 22, and unless it's extended, the show will run until October 6. Seats already appear to be going fast, with limited availability for the first couple weeks of shows. Get more info and tickets here.