I once knew Edmund Lyndeck, the original Rev. John Witherspoon in ''1776'' (and years later Judge Turpin in ''Sweeney Todd''). I don't remember why I didn't ask him why he didn't get to re-create his role in the movie, but Lyndeck once told me that, out of town, the set either broke in half (or was designed to break in half), so there'd suddenly be a scene on the battlefield. Possibly the original locale for ''Momma Look Sharp''? Since my first posting, I've also heard from a friend who saw ''1776'' in its D.C. tryout and recalls a song-and-dance number with soldiers and pub whores.
Meantime, I just learned from the ''1776'' trivia at IMDB that Witherspoon, the New Jersey delegate, is a real-life ancestor of Reese Witherspoon! |
