Paper Mill Playhouse Revitalizes ‘1776’

Written By Mike Greenblatt
1776-Paper-Mill

The nationally-known Paper Mill Playhouse, in Milburn, has been around since 1795 when it was an actual paper mill, producing binder board, wallpaper, tissues, newspapers and books. It burned down in 1860, was rebuilt and operating again until 1928. Abandoned for seven years, the building was rebuilt yet again in 1935 as a theatrical venue.

1776 premiered on Broadway in 1969, won three Tony Awards, and was made into a 1972 movie. It’s currently enjoying a renaissance in Millburn. With music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards [1919-1981]—born in Newark, raised in Parsippany—it’s now a dramedy with a cast of 26 characters, including the annoying John Adams, the pragmatic inventor Ben Franklin, the thin-skinned Thomas Jefferson plus George Washington, John Hancock and Abigail Adams.

Jay Lustig, writing in www.njarts.net, loved how, as he wrote, the “founding fathers sing, dance and drive each other crazy” proving it’s not easy to unite 13 British colonies. 1776 opened April 1 and will continue through May 2.  For further information, visit https://papermill.org/1776-2/.

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Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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