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1787 video
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Cast and Songs
1787
WE
THE
PEOPLE
CAST
with voice types needed for solos: if not listed, the range is
middle-ground or has options
for
ensemble
part.
All
sing
–
including
part
singing
–
unless
otherwise
noted.
Most
singing
roles
have
at
least
one
solo
line.
Chorus
members
sing
parts
as
needed.
DELEGATES
(with
state,
age,
and
sub-group/s*)
NON-DELEGATES
(age,
if
known)
VA
36
YL
James
Madison,
“father
of
the
Constitution”
-bari-
Daniel
Shays
(39)
-
baritone
tenor
Jason
Parmenter
(51)
-
baritone
VA
55,
OP
General
George
Washington
-
bass
Secretary
Jackson
-
does
not
sing
VA
34,
YL
Edmund
Randolph,
young
governor
of
Virginia
-
Jackson,
the
Slave
**
bass
or
bass-baritone
with
falsetto
baritone
Madison’s
Servant
-
does
not
sing
VA
61,
OP
George
Wythe,
old
Shays
Marcher
#1
VA
62,
OP,
Grmbl
George
Mason,
refused
to
sign
the
Constitution
Shays
Marcher
#2
for
ethical
reasons,
wrote
VA’s
Bill
of
Rights
Shays
Marcher
#3
MD
39,
Grmbl
Luther
Martin,
unkempt
Shays
Marcher
#4
MD
64
Daniel
St.
Thomas
Jenifer,
old,
17 th
/century
Shays
Marcher
#5
DE
40,
Grmbl
Gunning
Bedford,
Jr.,
large
Shays
Marcher
#6
DE
53,
OP,
Grmbl
George
Read
-
bass
(barbershop
bass)
Shays
Marcher
#7
DE
55,
OP,
Grmbl
John
Dickinson,
older,
frail
-
tenor
Shays
Marcher
#8
–
does
not
sing
NJ
41,
Grmbl
William
Paterson,
shortest
Voice
at
the
Arsenal
–
does
not
sing
NH
46
John
Langdon,
last
delegate
to
arrive
–
baritone
Mollie
Pitcher
(30s,
composite
character),
cleaning
woman
-
low
or
possibly tenor
alto
or
contralto
NY
49,
Grmbl
Robert
Yates,
Lansing’s
father-in-law-
bari-
Eliza
Hamilton
(20s)
–
soprano
tenor
Dolley
Madison
(20s)-
mezzo-soprano
NY
32,
Grmbl
John
Lansing,
Jr.,
along
with
Yates,
sent
by
NY
Penelope,
a
floozy
(also
appearing
as
chorus
member)
governor
to
vote
against
Hamilton,
handsome
–
Katie,
a
floozy
(also
appearing
as
chorus
member)
–
both
must
tenor
with
good
low
range
have
strong
singing
voices
NY
30,
YL
Alexander
Hamilton,
handsome,
full
of
himself
-
Additional
Chorus
Members
(optional)
for
act
closers
“Who
Are
high
tenor
(+
barbershop
tenor)
We?/Someday”
and
“Finale
-
Americans
Are
We”
CT
42,
YL
Oliver
Ellsworth
CT
66,
OP
Roger
Sherman,
NE
accent,
Great
Compromise
PA
53,
OP
Robert
Morris,
richest
man
in
America,
had
paid
for
much
of
the
Revolutionary
War
PA
81,
OP
Dr.
Benjamin
Franklin,
oldest
delegate,
infirm
–
tenor
or
high
tenor
PA
35,
YL
Governeur
Morris,
a
rake,
“the
tall
boy”
-
baritone
PA
45,
OP
Judge
James
Wilson
MA
49,
OP
Nathan
Gorham,
Chair
of
the
Confederation
of
States,
President
of
the
Continental
Congress
MA
43,
Grmbl
Elbridge
Gerry,
good
friend
of
John
Adams
MA
32,
YL
Rufus
King,
small
NC
43
William
Blount,
naysayer
NC
52
Hugh
Williamson
SC
48,
OP
John
Rutledge,
“Dictator
John”
SC
29,
YL
Charles
Pinckney,
the
youngest
delegate,
very
well-off,
high
social
status,
effete
-
high
tenor
SC
43,
YL
Major
Pierce
Butler,
staunch
supporter
of
slavery,
most
elegant,
military
bearing,
English
–baritone
GA
33
Abraham
Baldwin
GA
47
William
Leigh
Pierce
*
Historically
accurate,
the
nicknames
given
Young
Lions
(YL) ,
Old
Patriots
(OP) ,
and
Grumbletonians
(Grmbl) were applied in 1787 to describe delegates having similar interests. These
were
neither
mutually
exclusive
groups
nor
automatically
assigned
by
age.
**
With limited historical documentation of Jackson, Washington’s valet
and slave, the character here is
modeled
on
William
Lee.
Having
been
at
Washington’s
side
for
most
of
his
life,
Lee
was
infirm
in
1787
and
he
stayed
in
Virginia.
Packing
this
much
history
into
an
evening’s
entertainment
requires
choosing
and
combining
events,
occasionally
altering
the
chronology,
while
adhering
to
the
gist
of
documented
history.
There
were 54
delegates representing the 12 states participating – RI does not send representation – but those are
limited
here
to
a
stage
roster
of 31 delegates , combining selected
deeds of those not appearing into
politically
related
roles.
Similarly, Mollie Pitcher is a composite, legendary
character, based on the acts
of
real women.
Limited
list
of
internet
resources:
(delegates’
biographies)
Go
to
the
site
and
roll
your
mouse
over
the
delegates’
faces
in
this
painting
to
see
their
names.
Some
of
the
delegates
in
the
painting
were
not
actually
in
attendance
at
the
signing.
I
hope
we
can
reconstruct
a
semblance
of
this
image,
briefly,
on
stage
during
the
signing
scene.
… and
Wikipedia for
general
information
about
Mollie
Pitcher
(aka
Molly
Pitcher)
I
also
found
some
google’d
images
for
Daniel
Shays,
Jason
Parmenter,
Eliza
Hamilton,
Dolley
Madison,
and
delegates,
e.g.
the
following.