If you like Hamilton, watch 1776. I grew up watching it every #July4th and still love it. Plus, if you see it, you'll be able to catch the fun reference @Lin_Manuel included in Hamilton and earn your Bonafide Musical Nerd card.
One thing that's awesome about this musical, and Hamilton is similar, is that *so* many characters get amazing numbers. People you don't expect suddenly have show-stoppers, deep in the second act.
Surely by now someone has re-staged 1776 with Hamilton vibes, in terms of casting people of color, women, etc. in roles that traditionally went only to white men. I would watch/listen/pay to see that in a heartbeat.
Yes, there are some dated aspects. Jefferson gets off way too easy. But it's still pretty damn clear-eyed about the awful compromises made to birth this country.
Watching it as much as I did as a kid counteracted the outright "America is awesome!" narrative fed to me in school. And it made me want to know more. Plus the movie version has Mr. Feeney and that's never not fun.
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