Before Hamilton took the world by storm with its contemporary approach to history, another playwright took a similar approach to a landmark event. 1776 is the musical dramatization of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. With a book by Peter Stone and music by Sherman Edwards, this show is filled with jaunty tunes and riveting dialogue that creates a thrilling experience for audiences (yes, history can be thrilling). The show is remarkably sophisticated, showing conflicting philosophies among the early colonies and how these politicians managed to come together despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Most importantly, the show manages to not place these men on pedestals. Melora Kordos, one of the prior directors of Poplar Forest's 1776 , explains, "[The show] doesn't deify the founders of the first Continential Congress. It gloriously displays  all that characters' faults as well as their strengths."