Virginian-Pilot Review of 1776 at Little Theatre of Virginia Beach
Montague Gammon’s review of 1776 was published in this morning’s paper. The title: “Theatre’s 1776 is a salute to good performance”. For those who haven’t seen the show, or have and forgotten, his chosen title is a play on “Richard Henry Lee” as he prompts Adams and Franklin with “Gentleman, a salute to Virginia, the mother of American Independence!”. I have a lot of fun with that line, garnering a good chuckle from the audience as I give it. I’ve even got the orchestra mimicking my salute with a riding crop, only they’re using bows from their violins and other items around them. Much fun.
Overall, it’s a good review. Montague misspelled my name, but I suppose I should be tickled with the fact that I was even mentioned by name at all. Many actors got a wonderful mention and praise. Of me, Montague wrote, “Joel [McDonald] has great fun as the young, buffoonish, and self-centered Virginian Richard Henry Lee.” From there he segways into somewhat of a rant on how historically inaccurate the character is; a victim of the playwrights. I suppose I should take pride in having accomplished exactly the character that was written and not being anything like the man as he was.
Montague closes with “It’s fun to watch the conflicts of 1776 tunefully resolve themselves, and it’s essentially impossible not to applaud the subject, no matter the inconsistencies of acting abilities or historical veracity. It’s quite acceptable as a light-weight, light hearted summer diversion.”
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