Watch Liz Leclerc, Will Blum, John Treacy Egan Perform 'He Plays the Violin' in Paper Mill 1776

Mark S. Hoebee directs the Tony-winning musical at the New Jersey venue.

April 09, 2026 By Andrew Gans

The Paper Mill Playhouse production of the Tony-winning musical 1776, which officially opened at the New Jersey venue April 5, continues through May 2. Watch Liz Leclerc, who plays Martha Jefferson, lead "He Plays the Violin"—joined by Will Blum and John Treacy Egan—in the video above.

Directed by Paper Mill Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee, the cast is led by Blum (Beetlejuice) as John Adams, Egan (Just in Time) as Benjamin Franklin, Edward Watts (Scandalous) as John Dickinson, James Moye (Tootsie) as John Hancock, Elena Shaddow (The Bridges of Madison County) as Abigail Adams, Michael Burrell (Austen’s Pride) as Thomas Jefferson, Jonathan Young (Les Misérables) as Edward Rutledge, Bryant Martin (Desperate Measures) as Richard Henry Lee, Leclerc as Martha Jefferson, and Praise Oranika as the Courier with Joey Birchler as Lewis Morris, Jonathan Chisolm as Samuel Chase, Peyton Crim (Huzzah!) as Col. Thomas McKean, Aaron De Jesus as Robert Livingston, Sam Faustine as Dr. Lyman Hall, Philip Hoffman as Stephen Hopkins, Alec Ludacka as James Wilson, Kruz Maldonado as Leather Apron/Painter, Tuck Milligan as Andrew McNair, Stanton Morales as George Read, Jay Russell as Caesar Rodney, Bryan Seastrom as Dr. Josiah Bartlett, Paul Slade Smith as Rev. John Witherspoon, Graham Stevens as Joseph Hewes, Price Waldman as Charles Thomson, and Branch Woodman as Roger Sherman. Understudies are Noah LaPook and Claire Leyden.

Featuring a book by Peter Stone and a score by Sherman Edwards, the musical spans the two months ahead of the signing of the Declaration of Independence as John Adams persuades his fellow Founding Fathers to escape British rule, putting his own morality at stake.

The original Broadway production won three 1969 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Ronald Holgate), and Best Direction of a Musical (Peter Hunt), and marked the Broadway debut of Betty Buckley in the role of Martha Jefferson.

The Paper Mill production also has musical staging by Nancy Renée Braun, music direction by Jillian Zack, scenic design by Kevin Rupnik, costume design by Leon Dobkowski, lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker, sound design by Matt Kraus, scenic coordination and additional design by Kelly James Tighe, hair and wig design by Ashley Rae Callahan, makeup design by Dena Olivieri, and fight choreography by Rick Sordelet with casting by The TRC Company.

Gary Mickelson is the production stage manager.

Visit PaperMill.org.