The classic musical 1776 has been given a revolutionary new production on Broadway. Instead of telling the story of the founding of America as this musical is usually performed, with a cast of mostly-white men, this version uses multi-racial actors who are female, nonbinary and trans — people who weren't even considered in the Declaration of Independence.
When 1776 premiered on Broadway in 1969, America was enmeshed in the Vietnam War and the antiwar musical Hair was a big hit. So a musical featuring singing and dancing Founding Fathers seemed like longshot. Instead, it became a popular Tony Award winner.
