'1776 The Musical' marches onto the Walnut Street Theatre stage through May 31

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, this year, the nation's oldest theater is staging a blockbuster musical that tells the story of how the nation came to be.

The Tony award-winning "1776 The Musical" offers a front row seat to the Continental Congress and the weeks of debate that preceded the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

"It's June in Philadelphia. You see how frustrated everyone is," said Kathryn Brunner, who plays Martha Jefferson.

John Adams is firmly in favor of independence.

"He is passionate and morally certain and impatient with anyone who doesn't share his passion and his vision," said Scott Greer, who plays Benjamin Franklin.

"The opening scene, the song is called 'Sit Down John,' and it's essentially all of the men in Congress yelling at him to sit down, because they're so tired of him going on and on and on," said Brunner.

"All of it is particularly exciting because it happened about five blocks from here," said Greer.

"1776" is technically a musical.

"But it is unlike any musical I've ever done," said Greer.

"I would like to call it, you know, a play with music," said Brunner. "There's some long scenes where it's just debate, debate, debate, it's awesome to watch."

"The way to get everyone to agree to become independent was to amend the slavery clause," said Greer. "The British are also advancing. This is sort of a now or never moment."

Brunner plays the wife of Thomas Jefferson, a man of few words.

"But when he does speak, it's very important and very prominent," she said.

And in this show, he's a man who misses his wife.

"The whole scene is essentially why I love him, is because he plays the violin," she said.

The set transports you to the room where it happened.

"The costumes are incredible, wide hips and it's just so stunning," said Brunner.

"It's astonishing to me how we all know how the story ends. We know exactly how the story ends," said Greer. "You're genuinely caught up in, 'Oh my God, what if this doesn't happen?' It's theater at its best."

The Walnut Street Theatre is staging "1776 The Musical" through May 31.

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Walnut Street Theatre
825 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, Pa. 19107