By Alexandra Brewer | Arts & Life Writer
Baylor Theatre and History students brought historical moments to life and added a little Broadway flair for one night with “1776 and More!,” a show celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center Mabee Theatre was overflowing with audience members. People lined the back wall, and extra folding chairs were placed along the sides as the room reached capacity.
The audience was invested: they leaned forward in their seats, clapped after every song and hung onto every heated debate of the Second Continental Congress.
The performance included songs from “1776” and “Hamilton” along with scenes written and performed by history students. The show began with the delegates arguing amongst themselves.
John Adams passionately exhibited strong emotion, while other delegates responded with a combination of amusement and frustration. Some delegates had their heads in their hands; others were throwing their hands in the air, leaving the audience with a front-row view of the debates of the Second Continental Congress in June 1776.
“I think it’s really important to understand the importance of the Constitution and the rules in the United States,” Victoria senior and audience member Juan Llompart said. “I think this is a good way to share how it happened in a very easily digestible way that’s not just reading about it.”
Lauren Mikeal Weber, senior lecturer of theatre, and Dr. Julie Sweet, professor of history and director of military studies, led the project. Their classes worked separately throughout the semester to craft and configure the performance.
The musical numbers were performed with a great deal of energy by the cast, making it evident that many hours of rehearsal had been put in, yet they felt simultaneously spontaneous.
Familiar songs from “Hamilton” and “1776” generated big reactions and put audience members front and center to observe the summer of 1776.
The performance moved effortlessly through a variety of debates, speeches and songs, keeping the audience engaged.
Tense moments were balanced with humor and music, making for an overall exciting production that left the audience hooked and gave them the chance to witness history in a way unique to a textbook.
The show ran about 75 minutes with no intermission. It used a revue-style format, with multiple students playing the same roles at different points. Some musical selections were not historically exact, like Hamilton’s songs, but they captured the spirit of the moment.
Dripping Springs junior Lainey Killian said the collaboration gave her a chance to meet students she normally wouldn’t.
“It’s been really exciting,” Killian said. “We all got to meet for the first time yesterday, and I was really impressed by how smoothly it went.”
She said the musical theatre students are usually very close, so working with a new group changed the dynamic in a good way.
“It’s honestly very exciting to meet new people and have them be a part of our world,” Killian said. They’re excited to be there and have a fresh perspective on performance.”
Time was a challenge since theatre students only meet twice a week.
“Our class only meets for 50 minutes twice a week, so staging so many different numbers with full songs, choreography and costumes is definitely crazy to get put together,” Killian said.
Balancing the historical themes with performance was another key challenge.
“Full credit goes to the history majors,” Killian said. “They’re writing and coming up with these scenes that give so much context. Our side as performers has been so musically focused, telling the story through dance and vocals.”
She hopes audiences walked away learning something new about history while enjoying the show.
“I hope that they have a good time and maybe feel like they learned something new about the founding of America,” Killian said.
