Opened on March 16, 1969. Closed February 13, 1972 after 1,217 performances — 2.9 years. 3 Tony Awards in 1969, including Best Musical; 2 Drama Desk Awards in 1969 1776 is a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The show is based on the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, telling a story of the efforts of John Adams to persuade his colleagues to vote for American independence and to sign the document. The show premiered on Broadway in 1969 where it received acclaim and won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The original production starred William Daniels as Adams, Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson, and Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin. Wiki link