Wow! There were some really strong voices and well-rehearsed (for both content and timing) lines and gestures in 1776 The Musical, as recently performed on the CSUN campus. It's a somewhat hard-to-find show, with a thin book (and an already-known ending), but it was worth spending the time (including a nearly intolerably-long first act) having fun with this near-melodrama of a musical.
Compliments: Some VERY strong voices (with a couple of weak ones, present, but hardly worth mentioning). Good orchestra (a cracked note on the trumpet here; a mis-timed percussion entry there...). The whole show is a whole lot of fun, mostly professionally-presented (reading the bios of the cast afterward, it is clear that the more seasoned cast members provided the best performances, and the newer ones..."meh"). For the venue, lots of young, enthusiastic faces eager to please working as ushers, door personnel, and the like.
Complaints: Too, TOO many missed mic cues. Not one. or two. but more than 20 (I lost track counting). What's with that? How can that happen? There is no excuse for any, much less, more than twenty! Also, some mis-spotted lights cast shadows (or light, itself), where it's clear they shouldn't be. Flimsy set (lots of wrinkles on the bottom of the backdrop), but, again, it's nearly a pop-up production. The theater, itself, is "almost great." Very comfortable seat, and lots of leg room. The downside? Excessive congestion to enter and exit, and the restrooms are inconveniently located and inadequate for the aging crowd that attends these types of events. Parking is great!
Botom line: A fun evening in a good facility with a well-rehearsed cast and music not heard often enough. A few baked-in flaws (excessive link of the first act; nearly anti-cilmatic ending), a few preventable ones (insultingly numerous mic cues), and a "good" show that was good enough, but could have been better (with not much more effort and skill).