Heber City theater company Timpanogos Valley Theatre’s production of the Tony award-winning musical “1776,” which depicts the months of debates leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, is full of famous faces. But actor Don Doud is playing a somewhat obscure Founding Father.

Doud had never heard of Delawarean Continental Congressman Caesar Rodney until he was cast as him.

In a fictionalized scene set in early June 1776, Rodney breaks up a fight between fellow delegates John Adams and John Dickinson, who are on opposing sides of whether the colonies should secede from Britain. When Rodney finally gets Adams and Dickinson to stop trying to whack each other with their canes, he collapses due to his health issues from skin cancer.

The scene is a reminder that debates over independence were a lot more contentious and chaotic than what might be presented in a history class. It’s also a microcosm of what director Kristen Hughes wanted to accomplish with the play: encouraging civil disagreement in a politically polarized time.

In tone, “1776” has more in common with “12 Angry Men” than “Schoolhouse Rock.” Most of the lyrics of the opening song, “Sit Down, John,” are about the sweltering heat and flies buzzing around Independence Hall in Philadelphia. 

Hughes called Adams, the song’s subject and protagonist of the play, a “pushy little man” whom other delegates disliked because of his insistence on independence.

The play depicts each of the Founding Fathers not as infallible heroes, but human beings with their own quirks. 

Thomas Jefferson is introverted and cerebral, while Benjamin Franklin is a manipulative jester of a politician, constantly “schmoozing” and “partying” with his fellow delegates. They’re far more than faces on currency, as Hughes put it. Each delegate had their own grievances, or lack of them, depending on their colony’s interactions with the crown. As such, each man had a different idea of what independence should look like.

That’s explored when Jefferson writes a draft of the Declaration of Independence that impassionately condemns slavery as a “cruel war against human nature itself,” despite being a slave owner himself.

That passage was later removed. The exact reason why is unknown, though Jefferson, in his autobiography, said it was a concession made to delegates from South Carolina and Georgia. 

“That’s the one concession they made, which later just kicked the can down the road to the Civil War and caused lots of bloodshed. It’s very sobering,” Hughes said. “(The song ‘Molasses to Rum’) talks about how the North is complicit because they provide the ships that bring the slaves. They use the sugar. They drink the rum. They consume the products created by the slaves. So, they’re making money off it, too, even if they don’t own them.”

In the play, it’s delegate Edward Rutledge of South Carolina who performs the number; “1776” often combines several delegates into one character.

Dickinson, the delegate from Pennsylvania and the play’s antagonist, embodies the argument against independence, hoping for reconciliation with Britain. In the play’s climax, he does not sign the Declaration of Independence. Even as he makes that decision, his greatest opponent, Adams, applauds his character.

Hughes hopes the pair’s respect for each other despite their differing opinions inspires audience members to engage in political discussions with people they disagree with.

“We’re all working towards the same problems. We have different ideas about how to solve those problems, but maybe that’s how we’ll come to the best solutions,” she said.

Hughes sees “threats of authoritarianism” under the current presidential administration as the greatest threat to the country today.

“My personal (point of view) is that things are being dismantled, institutions and things that have kept safeguards in place for a long, long time. … The power structure is being altered,” she said. 

She hopes that reflection on the signing of the Declaration of Independence during its 250th anniversary prompts Americans to become passionate about defending its founding principles of democracy and unalienable rights.

“(The Founding Fathers were) willing to put their lives and their property and their families on the line,” Hughes said. “It was a huge sacrifice on their part, and it is something that we could maybe hold more reverently or dearly than we do.”

Even if “1776” doesn’t engender those feelings in all audience members, Hughes is content with the fact that she was able to hold the attention of a few “Hamilton”-obsessed teenage audience members who attended a performance last week.

“They said, ‘We were in here for three hours, and it didn’t feel like three hours,’” she said. “If a teenager says that, I feel like there’s my little gold star on the forehead that we did our job.”

Timpanogos Valley Theatre’s production of “1776” will be staged Wednesday and Friday, with a special matinee performance on Saturday as part of Heber City’s Red, White & Blue Festival. The play’s 29 actors will also be marching in the city’s morning parade and would love to share their characters’ real stories. Learn more and buy tickets at timpvalleytheatre.com.

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When Kerry Smith, the Utah Symphony’s vice president of artistic planning, designed the setlist for its upcoming America250 concert in Midway, she wanted the performance to be anchored around one quote from former conductor Maurice Abravanel: “To be a good American is not only to be aware that we are citizens of the finest country in the world. It is also to constantly strive to be even better.”

Smith said that Abravanel, an immigrant from the Ottoman Empire, or modern day Greece, believed in having a “dynamic country.”

“He just talks about the responsibility and the identity that comes with (being a citizen),” Smith said. 

That struck a chord with her.

On July 4, Smith said Midway will be the stage for a Utah Symphony performance exploring what it means to be an American citizen and the history of the United States. 

“We’re using America250 as an opportunity to look back at our history as well as American history,” Smith said. “We have some wonderful Americana works as well as some opera works.”

There will also be music that reflects the patriotism of America250. The concert will open with “The Star Spangled Banner” before launching into John Williams’ “Liberty Fanfare.” Elie Siegmeister’s “Western Suite” will follow with music reminiscent of the Old West. 

Then, there are overtures and pieces weaving together the story of the United States. John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” serves as the program’s final act. 

“We want to make sure that we have kind of multiple repertoire touch points with the audience,” Smith said. “We typically do both classical and popular music, which is very much reflected in this program.”

Conductor Conner Gray Covington will lead the orchestra. The former Utah Symphony associate conductor has also worked with the Boston Pops and Chicago Symphony. 

Aubree Oliverson — an internationally renowned violinist — and vocalist Amy Owens will also perform soloists. 

Owens, who has had a packed national and international career as a vocalist, said that, when she was asked to perform, she was grinning from ear to ear. 

“Are you kidding me? … It’s one of the highlights of my career; I imagine it will be,” Owens said. 

Since the performance takes place on the Fourth of July, Owens said the program “has momentum.” Owens said her personality lends itself well to performing and, being surrounded by music with the opportunity to connect with audiences is “just the best thing in life.” 

Owens said she feels that will stay true on Independence Day.

“This program has a lot of joy built into it, a lot of delight, and it also has poignant moments in it, so I feel like it’s a perfect way to reflect on everything we’ve been given, to feel gratitude, to feel awe,” Owens said.

She said that’s exactly what an audience should be feeling on such a celebratory day. 

Utah Symphony Front of House Director Melissa Robison said it’s not just the music that will take center stage, but also the backdrop of Town Square. The Wasatch Back, she said, provides the perfect awe-inspiring experience to accompany a legendary performance. 

“I love the symphony, but the backdrop is the experience,” Robison said. “I think there’s something magical about just being part of that, and then realizing that the music is moving you in a whole new way.”

Robison said the symphony is a “supportive element” to the entire experience, which she hopes will be unique to audience members. That’s especially true for the soloists and the conductor.

“He’s fantastic,” Robison said. “So fun to watch, so engaged.”

Camille Palmer, the city’s communications and public information manager, has also been leading the charge on America250 events. Palmer said the performance marks an epic moment for the Wasatch Back city. 

“They’ll finish right at 10 o’clock as the fireworks start on Memorial Hill,” Palmer said. “It’s really kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Palmer said city leaders are excited about the opportunity to work with the symphony, especially with the series of events that have led up to the culmination of America 250 celebrations. 

“Two hundred and fifty years doesn’t come around very often, and so we just decided that we really wanted to make this a community celebration and to have events and activities that involve everybody,” Palmer said, adding that the symphony’s performance will be free to the public. 

It’s Palmer’s hope that the community will come early and enjoy the patriotic performance as well as the entirety of Midway’s America250 celebration. So far, Palmer has heard nothing but positivity from the community. 

“(They’re) very excited,” Palmer said. 

Midway City will host America250 events until the celebration. The Utah Symphony will put on its free-to-the-public concert at Midway Town Square with seating opening at 4 p.m. and the performance starting at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 4.

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While the Founding Fathers began the United States Constitution with a preamble that established its foremost goal of forming a more perfect Union, Raul Balderas began a Constitution of his own with a more sardonic tone.

“We, the people, are pissed,” he joked, to the amusement of the dozen residents who had gathered in the Wasatch County Library last Wednesday. 

The group had come for the latest in a series of lectures about local history held this year in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

This lecture, given by former and current Wasatch High School history teachers Dawain M. Wheatley and Easton Powell, explored the founding principles of the United States and their relevance to Americans today.

In an attempt to hammer home the latter point, Wheatley and Powell asked attendees to gather in small groups and discuss how these documents could be applied to their daily lives.

The members of Balderas’ group were inspired by the Declaration of Independence’s assertion that the purpose of government is to secure the people’s unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The document says that it is the right of the people to “alter or abolish” any form of government that is destructive of these ends.

Wheatley provided a local example of this alteration of government to better serve the needs of the people in Wasatch County’s change from a three-member county commission to a seven-member county council in 2003. County commissioners could live anywhere in the county — even, hypothetically, all in the same neighborhood — while now, there are five regional and two at-large seats.

Balderas’ group had its own ideas about how to alter the government to better fit the needs of the people. Their thesis was that the federal government should spend more money on support for American citizens, especially in a time when inflation is rising. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced last Wednesday that consumer prices had risen 4.2% since May last year, a 0.4% increase since last month’s assessment and the highest rate of inflation since 2023.

Balderas, a dual-immersion kindergarten teacher at Heber Valley Elementary, said inflation and Wasatch County’s cost of living are creating financial stress for him. 

Meanwhile, Romanie Murdock expressed her desire for the federal government to better support disabled people and caregivers. She has been her husband’s caregiver since he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease four years ago.

“There’s little support for disabled people,” Murdock said. “And caregivers aren’t supported. Society expects that a loved one is the caregiver.”

Murdock said local organizations, particularly the county senior center and the Mountainland Association of Governments, which provides resources and education on aging, Alzheimer’s disease and caregiving in Wasatch, Summit and Utah counties, have been valuable resources for her. She isn’t sure exactly how the federal government can better support Americans who are disabled.

But whatever that support may look like, it could be beneficial for all Americans, suggested group member Ammon Teare. The phenomenon is called the curb cut effect, named for sidewalk ramps, which were installed for people in wheelchairs but are used by others, like people pushing strollers or shopping carts.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, which required nationwide accommodations like curb cuts, was signed into law only 36 years ago, thanks to the efforts of disability civil rights activists and government officials alike.

“It took a lot of people a lot of time to fight for those changes,” Teare said. 

Teare said such progress is often prompted by Americans reflecting on their country’s founding principles and questioning whether current policy is contradictory to those principles. 

He was particularly inspired by Wheatley and Powell’s discussion of how civil rights movements throughout American history have repeatedly led to the reversal of discriminatory government policies.

“Whether it be current immigration policy or the attitudes toward people in this country who are from different parts of the world, the way they’re perceived has changed over time, and at least some part of the impetus for that change was from people looking back at the Constitution, the Declaration (of Independence), and saying, ‘Well, when they say, “we, the people,” or they say, “all people,” they didn’t just mean a handful of people,’” he said.

Teare hopes that America’s 250th anniversary prompts all Americans to reflect on the country’s founding principles and become advocates for them, whether it be through grassroots efforts, voting, running for office or voicing opinions in a public forum.

“There’s never been a time in the country where talking about our rights, talking about the foundations of our democracy, hasn’t been valuable,” he said. “We should be looking (at) how we can use these to improve the rights and lives of all Americans.”

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The Fourth of July was as busy as expected in Park City.

It is one of the most crowded days of the year as Parkites and visitors jam onto Main Street for the annual parade, stay the day, and then gather for a drone show at night. The traffic is congested and parking difficult to find.

July 4 in 2026 could be an even busier day in the community. A year before that holiday, certain elements are aligning for an even more boisterous Fourth of July.

America will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The quarter-millennium mark will generate plenty of attention on the holiday across the nation, as was the case during the bicentennial in 1976.

July 4 in 2026 also falls during the World Cup soccer tournament, which will be held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Games are scheduled for the holiday in Houston and Philadelphia. Hosting the giant sporting event is expected to bring about more interest across the U.S., with the possibility of further heightening of pride in the country should the American team advance in the tournament.

In Park City, the community on July 4 could honor local athletes who competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy in February. There is usually a bloc of Winter Olympians with ties to Park City on the U.S. team, and the area — one of the nation’s top winter-sports locales — has produced a roster of medalists over the decades.

The holiday in 2026 also is on a Saturday, making it a three-day holiday weekend. That alone has the likelihood of boosting crowds in Park City above what they would be if Independence Day was midweek. The Fourth of July festivities draw tens of thousands of people to the community in a typical year.

“Generally speaking, we are excited about the 250^th birthday of the USA and anticipate that many Americans will be traveling domestically to celebrate. I’m certain that the Park City community will put on a good show for the celebration. Given the fact that we’ll be coming off the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, it wouldn’t surprise me if many of the parade entries featured Park City athletes and Olympians,” said Jennifer Wesselhoff, the president and CEO of the Park City Chamber/Bureau.

She said the tourism organization normally does not promote the Fourth of July with crowds arriving for the holiday regardless of any advertising.

“Since the Fourth of July weekend is generally a busy time for us in the area, we don’t usually promote that weekend, as we prefer to focus on attracting visitors when we need them, but we’re certain it will be an excellent celebration for our community and visitors alike,” she said about next year.

It is not clear so early whether the community plan for July 4, 2026, along a different schedule than usual. With the July 4 celebration generally held in the same fashion each year, there are blueprints for City Hall and others to follow as they prepare for the event.

One of the top Utah legislators early in the week noted the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. State Senate President Stuart Adams on Tuesday released a prepared statement about 2026, saying, “For 250 years, America has stood as the hope of the world. Our founding ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have stretched far beyond our borders and inspired generations around the globe.” The statement did not address details of any statewide commemoration, however.

“This anniversary is a celebration of our shared history, a tribute to those who have defended our liberty and a reaffirmation of the ideals that continue to shape our future. As we begin this historic, yearlong commemoration, I invite every Utahn to reflect on our history and look forward with hope to the promise that the best is still to come,” Adams said. “Our strength as a nation lies in its people. America remains the hope of the world. And Utah, with its steadfast leadership and enduring values, is the hope of America. May God continue to bless the United States of America.”

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Park City hosted their annual 4th of July Parade on Main Street Tuesday. The festivities added to multiple activities that continued throughout the day around town. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

Link to full gallery here: https://parkrecordphoto.smugmug.com/PHOTOS-Park-Citys-4th-of-July-Parade/

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The Park City Ski & Snowboard Club’s annual Fourth of July 5K Fun Run fundraiser welcomed more than 900 participants Tuesday morning on Empire Ave. Participants dressed in festive red, white and blue to celebrate America’s birthday. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

Link to full gallery here: https://parkrecordphoto.smugmug.com/PHOTOS-Fourth-of-July-5K-Fun-Run/

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