About the Show

1776 The Musical
July 2, 3, 4, 5, 2026

What better time to stage 1776 than during the 250th anniversary of our country? This unconventional Broadway hit brings the founding of America to life, revealing the real people behind the legends — proud, uncertain, irritable, funny, and ultimately noble. Set in the summer of 1776, the story follows John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson as they struggle to convince the Continental Congress to declare independence from Britain. With sharp wit, a powerful score, and timeless relevance, 1776 reminds us that history was made not by perfect heroes, but by passionate individuals determined to do what was right for a fledgling nation.

Purchase tickets here.

Meet the Crew

  • Connie Kiehn

    DIRECTOR

    As a musical fangirl, Connie is thrilled to be directing 1776 as her directorial musical debut. She fondly remembers watching 1776 as part of her AP U.S. History class in high school. Connie’s favorite dessert doesn’t change just because it’s summertime, she loves any ice cream with chocolate fudge chunks and/or a caramel swirl year round! Her favorite musical is How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

  • Katie Skidmore

    MUSIC DIRECTOR

    Katie is a vocalist and music educator with a background in opera, musical theatre, and arts administration. She recently served as music director for Into the Woods and Legally Blonde the Musical, and currently teaches private voice lessons. Katie is especially excited by the music of 1776—a score filled with rousing, humorous, flirtatious, thought-provoking, and touching moments. Her favorite summer dessert is fresh peaches with whipped cream, and her favorite musical is She Loves Me.

  • Vicki Turnbull

    COSTUME DESIGNER

    Vicki is thrilled to be working on colonial era costume design for 1776. Her favorite summer dessert is fruit pizza. Vicki’s favorite musical since childhood has always been Victor/Victoria.

  • Judy Morgan

    SET DESIGNER

    Judy is excited to design the sets for 1776, bringing her creativity to the founding of a nation. She’s especially looking forward to finally getting her daughter off her back about helping out. Her favorite summer sweet treat is anything cold and chocolate, and her favorite musical is the original movie version of Thoroughly Modern Millie.

  • Merissa McFarland

    PROP MISTRESS

    Merissa is thrilled to help bring Honey Pearl Productions’ next dream to life. After five years in Boston, she’s excited to bring scenes to life through an occasionally authentic East Coast lens. She’s visited Paul Revere’s House and Minuteman National Park, so the props are in good hands. Her favorite dessert is any frozen treat on the beach, and her all-time favorite musical is The Phantom of the Opera.

  • Sarah Morgan

    LIGHT DESIGNER

    It will be Sarah’s first time designing and operating a theatrical production, and a rare occasion where she won’t be double dipping as both a designer and performer, allowing her to fully sink her teeth into design work. Sarah also hasn’t been “backstage” in almost two years and is excited to be on headset for a show again. Her favorite summer dessert oscillates between ice cream and s’mores, and her favorite musical is anything Sondheim!

  • Myriah Bell

    STAGE MANAGER

    Myriah returns for her first musical with HPP. She’s excited to take on a ground-up challenge, as it’s the first time she’s tackling something she hasn’t seen or listened to before. Chocolate-covered fruit, especially oranges and raspberries, is her favorite summertime dessert. Myriah’s favorite musical is a toss-up between Bandstand and Parade.

  • Charlotte Young

    ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER/SET CARPENTER

    Charlotte is looking forward to 1776 because she hasn’t worked on a musical before and there is a special magic in live music. Her go-to summertime dessert is either a root beer float or apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Her current favorite musical is Little Shop of Horrors.

  • Fernando Flores

    SET CARPENTER

    Fernando returns to set building after playing an integral role on Cheaper by the Dozen. His expertise as a professional finish carpenter makes him a valuable addition to our set crew. He’s especially excited about building sets that audiences will truly enjoy. His favorite summertime treat is ice-cold watermelon on a hot day, and his favorite musical is The Sound of Music.

  • Stefan Kiehn

    GRAPHIC DESIGNER/SET CARPENTER

    Stefan is excited for the challenge of tackling set design and acting in this timeless classic. His go-to sweet treat in the summer is salted caramel and brown butter cookie from Panhandle Cone & Coffee. Stefan’s favorite musical is Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

  • Alethea Smith

    PROP ARTISAN/SOUND TECH

    Alethea returns for behind-the-scenes work and is especially excited about the musical elements of 1776. She believes music makes any production more enjoyable and emotionally impactful, and she never tires of listening to great songs. Her favorite sweet treat—both in summer and year-round—is lemon bars or anything lemon-flavored, and her favorite musical is Mary Poppins.

  • Valerie Jerman

    COSTUMER

    Valerie first connected with costume designer Vicki during Cheaper By the Dozen, where she shared her growing passion for creating period costumes. With Vicki’s mentorship, she’s especially excited to contribute to 1776, as the 1770s era is her favorite to explore in costume design. Valerie’s favorite musical is Acts: A City Rising, with The Sound of Music close behind. When summer rolls around, she loves enjoying fresh strawberries, sliced and lightly sugared.

  • Avalyn Smith

    COSTUMER

    Avalyn got her start with Honey Pearl Productions as part of the ensemble in Cheaper by the Dozen and is now transitioning to costumes for 1776. She is excited to see how everything comes together, with all the characters in costume and onstage. Her favorite summer dessert is just about any kind of cookie. Avalyn’s favorite musical is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

  • Britt Hagen

    MAKEUP DESIGNER

    Britt has been involved in every HPP show as either an actor or makeup designer. She loves the style of the 1700s and is excited to dive into SFX makeup with Merissa (Props Mistress). Britt believes lime popsicles are an underrated delicacy in the summer and her favorite musical is Rent.

  • Rachel Houston

    MAKEUP DESIGNER

    Rachel returns to HPP as a makeup designer. There are many things about 1776 that excite her, but she is especially looking forward to watching the HPP creative team come together and building camaraderie with the cast and crew, particularly on a production that celebrates our country during its 250th year. Her favorite musical is Phantom of the Opera, and her favorite summer treat is a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream over a warm brownie.

  • Lillian Maus

    PROP ARTISAN

    Lillian is excited to work on 1776 as an opportunity to experience a different side of theatre production. She’s especially looking forward to learning all the ins and outs of how a show comes together while collaborating with a great group of people along the way. For a summer treat, Lillian loves a refreshing tropical smoothie, especially one packed with mango. Her favorite musicals are Into the Woods and EPIC: The Musical.

  • Ezra Kessler

    PROP ARTISAN

  • Cline York

    SOUND TECH

    Cline brings a wealth of technical knowledge to this crew and he is thrilled to be getting back into stage productions. His favorite summer sweet treat is funnel cake and Come From Away is his favorite musical.

  • Sydney Houston

    STAGE CREW

    After spending time onstage, Sydney is especially thrilled to experience the magic from behind the scenes and watch a musical come to life from a whole new perspective. Her favorite summer dessert is orange and dark chocolate ice cream from Panhandle Cone & Coffee, and her all-time favorite musical is The Phantom of the Opera.

  • Mackenzie Maus

    PROP ARTISAN

    Mackenzie is excited to be working on props for this production and is especially looking forward to seeing the set come together. With a long-standing interest in the American Revolution, she’s thrilled to be part of it When it comes to summer treats, Mackenzie loves a classic bowl of vanilla ice cream. Her favorite classic Broadway-style show is Newsies, though she’s also a big fan of Jorge Rivera-Herrans’s concept album EPIC (which she argues totally counts!).

  • Owen Werner

    STAGE CREW

    Owen is joining a HPP production for the first time and is excited to learn as much as he can about stage crew. His favorite summer sweet treat is classic chocolate ice cream and his favorite musical is Newsies.