A Historic Performance

ART ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ARE SHOWCASING THEIR PATRIOTIC PRIDE AS PART OF THE AMERICA. 2.50, GULF COAST SYMPHONY IS COMMEMORATING THE 200 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WITH A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE OF 17, 76 WGCU ARTS REPORTER TOM HALL SHOWS US THE LOVE STORY AT THE CENTER OF THE PRODUCTION. >> SO YOU DON'T HAVE MADAM SOMETHING. OKAY. >> WAS HAMILTON, THERE WERE 17. 76. >> MANUEL SAID WITHOUT 17, 76, THERE WAS NO HAMILTON. AND SO THERE REALLY ARE WONDERFUL PARALLELS BETWEEN THE 2 OF THEM. I DON'T THINK YOU CAN EVER GET TIRED OF LEARNING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AMERICA BECAUSE WHAT WE READ ABOUT AND LEARN ABOUT IN THE CLASSROOM IS ONLY JUST A FRACTION OF WHAT THE TRUE STORY OF AMERICA REALLY IS. AND OF COURSE, WE'RE LIVING IT OUT TODAY. >> IT'S NOT TOO SURE HOW OR PLAYS ABIGAIL ADAMS IN 17. 76. SHE MADE HER BROADWAY DEBUT IN THE SOUND OF MUSIC AT THE AGE OF 15 AND HAS GONE ON TO STAR IN TOURS OF PARADE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AND LES MISERABLES PLAYING ABIGAIL ADAMS HAS BEEN A BUCKET LIST ROLLS AND SHE WAS JUST A KID. NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE SHOW'S HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, BUT BECAUSE ABIGAIL ADAMS WAS SUCH A STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN, JASON PARISH, WHO STARS AS JOHN ADAMS IN THE MUSICAL COULDN'T AGREE MORE. SHE BECAME A VOICE OF >> REASON FOR HIM. SHE BECAME A SOUNDING BOARD FOR HIM. SHE BECAME SOMEONE TO SORT OF POKE HIS EGO AND MAKE HIM SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO COMPROMISE WITH THESE PEOPLE. SHE WAS HIS CONSCIENCE KIND OF THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS AND THROUGH HIS EVENTUAL PRESIDENCY OF YEARS. >> HAVE >> A GO AT UM'S CONVEYED THAT STRENGTHEN MODERATING INFLUENCE TO A SERIES OF LETTERS THE COUPLE EXCHANGED DURING THE 14 MONTHS IT TOOK THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS TO NEGOTIATE THE BAIT AND ADOPT A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. ONE SUCH LETTER SERVED AS THE BASIS FOR THIS CHARMING MUSICAL INTERLUDE TILL THEN >> UNTIL THEN IS A BEAUTIFUL NUMBER AT THE OPENING OF THE SHOW. THAT'S A DRAMATIZATION OF THE FIRST OF 3 IN THE SHOW OF JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS IS FAMOUS LETTERS TO ONE ANOTHER. HE WROTE SOMETIMES 3 TIMES A DAY TO ABIGAIL. SHE WAS HIS BEST FRIEND. SHE ALSO PUSHED HIM TO STAY STRONG AND ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE THEY HAD A TREMENDOUS LOVE AND A NEED. AND AND I AND NEED TO BE TOGETHER AND BE WITH EACH OTHER. SO IN A SENSE, ABBOTT BILLS, THE MOTIVATING FORCE BEHIND WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE HIS DESIRE TO GET BACK TO BRAINTREE AND BACK TO HIS MASSACHUSETTS FARM IS THE THING THAT'S URGING HIM TO GET THIS THING DONE. GET THE VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE TO BE DONE FROM HOME TO FUTURE TILL THEN IS EMBLEMATIC OF THE THEME OF 17, 76. >> DO >> THIS PLAY IS REALLY ABOUT TEACHING US A LESSON IN HOW TO COMPROMISE WITH ONE ANOTHER. HOW TO WORK WITH ONE ANOTHER. HOW TO HAVE A LOOK PAST OUR POLITICAL DIFFERENCES AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE ALL PEOPLE AND WHAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS LEFT FOR US. NOT JUST IN THIS DOCUMENT, BUT EVENTUALLY THE CONSTITUTION IS THEY BUILT A SYSTEM THAT REQUIRES WORKING TOGETHER IN ORDER TO GET. THINGS DONE IN ORDER TO GOVERN IN A DRAMA TO ZEESHAN OF THIS. >> SHOW IS REALLY PALPABLE. WHAT REALLY IS AT STAKE. YOU READ IT THROUGH GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MISSIVES THAT ARE SENT THROUGH THAT OR RED. YOU SEE IT THROUGH THE CONFLICT OF AND HOW CLOSE WE CAME TO NOT GAINING OUR INDEPENDENCE. THAT IS REALLY TRUE. AND AND ABIGAIL LETTERS AND SEEING WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE HOME FRONT, HOW WE'RE STRUGGLING AT HOME. THERE WAS SO MUCH AT STAKE AND WE DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WOULD MAKE IT. I AM SO INSPIRED BY BEING ABLE TO BE A PART OF THIS AND THINKING ABOUT BUT COULD BE NEXT FOR THE NEXT 250 YEARS. WHAT WHAT IS IN STORE FOR OUR FUTURE AND HOW COMEY MAKE THIS COUNTRY EVEN MORE WONDERFUL AND HOW CAN WE MAKE OUR SHELVES EVEN STRONGER? >> I DO. I HAVE TO GO TO THE CASA OF >> DIRECTOR JEREMY WEBB REMINDS US THAT THERE'S ANOTHER ASPECT OF THIS PRODUCTION THAT MAKES IT MUST THE THEATER. WHAT'S SPECIFICALLY GREAT ABOUT THIS EVENT THAT WE'RE DOING IS THAT IT'S A SYMPHONIC EXPERIENCE. SO WE HAVE. >> I THINK A 40 PIECE ORCHESTRA ONSTAGE THE ENTIRE EVENING. >> WITH MEISTER AND RICK HURTS AND IN FRONT OF THAT, WE HAVE THE EVENTS UNFOLDING IN FRONT OF YOU IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES. THE STAGES IS FULL. I MEAN, AT CERTAIN POINTS, I THINK WE'LL HAVE 70 ARTISTS ON STAGE AT THE SAME TIME THE U.S. >> WE'RE TELLING THE STORY OF OUR QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE TO MUSICAL THEATRE ALSO FITS UNIQUELY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF AMERICA, 2.50 >> THERE'S NO ART FAR MORE AMERICAN THAN THAT IN MUSICAL THEATER. WE INVENTED IT. AND HERE TO SPECTACULAR SHOWS THE BOTH. AN EQUAL WAYS ARE CELEBRATING. THIS AMAZING ART FORM THAT WE CAN CALL OUR OWN. SO 17. 76 IS AN AMERICAN SHOW IN AND AMERICAN IDIOM ORIGINAL TO US ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT IN AMERICAN FOR WGCU NEWS IM TOM HALL.