The popular musical sets the story of the Founding Fathers and the signing of the Declaration of Independence to song and dance.
The theater is at 8th and Walnut, just a stone's throw away from where the history unfolded 250 years ago.
"I think there's something really cool about being literally blocks away from the actual building where it happened, and giving new breath to these people who we've learned about in history books for years," says Jeffrey Coon, who portrays Richard Henry Lee. "This show gives them a little bit of life, and they're funny, and they sing well."
Coon is a Cape May native. He has performed in 37 shows at the Walnut Street Theatre.
"My first show here was 29 years ago, and it was 1776," says Coons. "I played the courier then, and now I'm playing Richard Henry Lee."
This staging coincides with the celebration of our nation's 250th birthday, and the Walnut Street Theatre is also honoring its own deep roots.
"We are the oldest continuously operating theater in North America, founded in 1808," says Coons, just a few years after 1776.
This musical brings Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin to life as they fight for independence against a deadlocked Continental Congress.
"You get to sort of meet these people as human beings," says Coons.
The show also features the Walnut's newly restored historic fire curtain.
"It actually depicts the first time that the Liberty Bell was rung before it was cracked," says Coons. "This is the show curtain that we will have in at the beginning of each performance."
This is the Walnut Street Theatre's 217th season.
1776 opens in previews on April 14 and runs through May 31. Click here to learn more.