Get Ready to Audition for 1776

Things are fully underway for Cheaper by the Dozen. Rehearsals officially kicked off last week, and opening night is set for Friday, January 30th at 7 p.m. Stay tuned for our ticket announcement, it’s shaping up to be something really special.

At the same time, we’re in the planning phase for 1776.

This show is a major milestone for us. It will be our first musical, and it will premiere during the 250th anniversary of the founding of this country. That alone makes it significant. But there are other reasons it matters, and I want to take a moment to share why we chose it and why it feels like the right show at the right time.

I had the idea to do 1776 in the summer of 2024. Honestly, it simply seemed like a smart business move. Tying shows to holidays just makes sense from a marketing standpoint. I began thinking about what stories I love, and how they might align with the calendar. When I got to Independence Day and saw that the 250th anniversary was coming up—and that July 4, 2026 falls on a Saturday—I literally said out loud, “Oh my God, we have to do 1776.” A major American milestone in a town that goes big for the Fourth of July? The choice seemed obvious.

But 1776 is much more than that.

It’s a beautiful, moving show. The music is fantastic. The script strikes a rare balance between levity and gravity. It deals honestly and powerfully with the issue of slavery. The historical setting brings incredible opportunities for costumes, props, and design. The characters are drawn from names everyone recognizes. The more time I spend with the material, the more I’m struck by the show’s emotional depth. My favorite song seems to change every week.

Yes, 1776 is about the birth of a nation, but it’s also about the cost of greatness, both personal and political. It’s about the strain that ambition can place on a marriage. It asks hard questions many of us know too well: Am I giving too much to something outside my family? How much should one partner be asked to sacrifice so the other can chase their calling? The show explores not just the compromises made in founding this country—still debated today—but also the private, emotional compromises most of us never hear about. 

I chose this show before the 2024 election. Before Donald Trump was shot. Before recent tragedies that I believe are shifting this country in ways we don’t yet understand. This choice wasn’t political. I had no way of knowing what was to come. But I do love this country. I love it even when my candidate doesn’t win. I love it as a Christian, as a woman, as a descendant of slaves, as an artist, and as the granddaughter of a man who walked the beaches of Normandy in a segregated army. I don’t believe there’s a better place on earth to be any—or all—of those things. I believe being born in the United States was a kind of lottery win. It’s the greatest privilege of my life, second only to being born to the parents I have. So will I tear up at the end of the show when the bell rings and the signatures on the Declaration of Independence are made? Probably.

This production also brings new opportunities. It’s a large cast made up mostly of men, which is unusual in community musical theatre. I believe this may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for local male performers. Every show has its own energy, and this one, simply by its casting, will be different.

Another goal we’ve set is to assemble a volunteer orchestra pit and bring live music back to local musicals. If you or someone you know might be interested, please reach out.

As always, our success depends on you. We need actors, musicians, tech crew, volunteers, and ticket buyers. Information about auditions, the schedule and character breakdowns are already available on our website. We’re also hoping to offer childcare during rehearsals, to make participation more accessible for parents of young children.

If 1776 speaks to you, I hope you’ll be part of it. And gentlemen, if you’re considering auditioning, you may want to stop cutting your hair.

Respectfully,
Connie Kiehn
Co-Founder, Honey Pearl Productions