1776 and the Peter H. Hunt Papers

The following blog post celebrating the birthday of the United States of America is provided by Senior Archivist Morgen Stevens-Garmon, who recently completed the processing of the papers of Peter H. Hunt, director of the Broadway musical “1776.”

Last month the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards ceremony celebrated the tenth anniversary of the musical “Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The performance took me back ten years to when I saw “Hamilton” during its preliminary run at The Public Theater in New York City. When I bought the ticket, I thought, “Well, I really liked ‘1776’ as a kid, maybe I’ll like this new musical.” And, when Miranda as Alexander Hamilton sang out, “Sit down, John …,” my heart leaped. I clearly wasn’t the only fan of “1776.”

For those who may not know, “1776” was a Broadway musical that opened at the 46th Street Theatre on March 16, 1969. With a book by Peter Stone and music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards, the show ran for more than 1,200 performances and was adapted into a movie released in 1972. The story follows John Adams as he attempts to convince the Second Continental Congress to formally declare independence from Great Britian and includes the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. The movie included many of the original stage cast; at the helm was the Broadway production’s director, Peter H. Hunt. Over the last few months, it has been my pleasure to process the collected papers of Peter H. Hunt at the Library of Congress.

A graduate of Yale University’s School of Drama, Hunt began his career in the early 1960s as a lighting designer working frequently with the Hartford Stage Company and Williamstown Theatre Festival. The musical “1776” marked a transitional moment for Hunt: it was his directorial debut on Broadway, and the film adaptation marked his first time directing for the camera. Hunt’s next major job was directing several episodes of the short-lived television show “Adam’s Rib,” which was created by “1776” author Peter Stone.

Hunt went on to enjoy a successful career directing numerous television movies, shows and stage productions including several adaptations of Mark Twain’s works. His longest television assignment was directing 37 episodes of the series “Touched by an Angel” over eight seasons of the show’s run. Hunt never truly left theater though, and from 1989 to 1995 he was artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Hunt passed away on April 26, 2020, at the age of 81.

Hunt’s papers were donated to the Library by his widow, Barbette Tweed Hunt. The collection includes annotated scripts of Hunt’s work on stage and screen as well as casting notes, clippings, light plots, photographs, production schedules, and programs related to his 40-plus-year career. The collection finding aid, which will be available later this month, includes nearly three boxes of material on the stage and screen productions of “1776.”

“1776” wasn’t the first musical set during the American Revolution (and “Hamilton” won’t be the last). Visitors to the Library can explore the 1950 Broadway production of “Arms and the Girl” starring Nanette Fabray as a young revolutionary who falls in love with a Hessian solider. The show also stars Pearl Bailey and features music by Morton Gould with lyrics by Dorothy Fields and a book by Dorothy, Herbert Fields, and Rouben Mamoulian.  There is also the 1925 musical “Dearest Enemy” by Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, and Herbert Fields that tells the story of how Mary Lindley Murray used the power of tea and cake to distract British General William Howe when he arrived in New York in September 1776, allowing American soldiers to slip away undetected. Check out these materials and more with a visit to the Library.