1776

Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards      Book by  Peter Stone 

Musical Theatre West 

June 9, 2010

​

“…a riveting, edge-of-your-seat drama with plenty of heart and soul and a generous amount of genuinely comical moments.  Musical Theatre West's production of '1776' is unquestionably brilliant, intensely affecting, and deeply moving—from its rousing beginning to its glorious end. This is one thrilling stage experience that must be seen and heard. Under the direction of Nick DeGruccio, MTW's stunning '1776' embodies everything that makes live theater so exciting and important. Overall, Musical Theatre West's truly impressive '1776' turns out to be one engaging, eye-opening history lesson.”            - Broadway.com

​

“MTW's production at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center is certainly Broadway caliber.  Nick DeGruccio's staging is superbly paced, cast and performed.”

                        - Orance County Register

​

“Director Nick DeGruccio has masterfully mustered his troupe of performers, getting every bit of humor and drama out of Peter Stone's acclaimed book.  Even with the outcome preordained, the audience is on the edge of their seats, wondering if our founding fathers will actually declare independence from Great Britain or remain just another colony…dazzling production”

                        - Theatremania.com 

​

“Director Nick DeGruccio's magnificent rendition demonstrates that fine acting is crucial requirement in certain musicals…handsomely textured production. DeGruccio's picturesque staging, including some goose bump–inducing tableaux effects, evokes memories of vintage history-book photographs. That this story's foregone conclusion is uncannily preceded by nail-biting tension is a tribute to the committed and nuanced characterizations of DeGruccio's masterful ensemble.”

                        - BackstageWest 

​

“Every aspect of this production is top-tier, and with director Nick DeGruccio at the helm, it should not come as a surprise.  Degruccio and company truly take you back to the late 18th century to watch these men of congress duke it out…a company of incomparable professionals”

                        - Examiner.com

​

“American history comes to life on the musical theater stage as never before in 1776, the Broadway smash now getting a splendid star-studded revival at Musical Theatre West.…direction by the brilliant Nick DeGruccio…this production is so all-around stupendous”

                        - LA Stage Scene

​

‘The relevance was laminated in the production’s first few moments by the verisimilitude of the staging. With nary a flaw the production pirouetted with agility between the sublime and the ridiculous. The result was a compelling, thoroughly enjoyable story ‘

                         - James Scarborough

​

​

PERFOMANCE RIVERSIDE

April 2, 2004

​

"...the company's rousing rendition of this classic brims with dramaturgic and musical riches.   ...the subject matter is uncommonly literate, and the characters are so skillfully written that acting prowess is almost more crucial than singing ability.  Director Nick DeGruccio seamlessly integrates the show's tricky stylistic shifts, guiding a uniformly first-rate ensemble.  DeGruccio caps off this triumph with one of the most artful physical designs yet seen at Riverside."   - BackStage West, Critic's Choice, Les Spindle

 

"Replay of history that's anything but dull ...moments that are visceral and show-stopping.  Directed by Nick DeGruccio, Performance Riverside's "1776" is a rousing, emotional look at a moment most of us take for granted that moment at which the members of the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence and took a place at the lonely vanguard of democracy."                                - Redlands Daily Facts

 

"This is a wonderful production. Don't miss it!  This show is not only entertaining with great writing and wit, but it is also significantly historically accurate. There are some marvelously witty moments in "1776," but what makes this show really wonderful is the historical passion that it displays and inspires in all those who watch it."   - Fontana Herald News

​

Cabrillo Music Theatre

October, 2012