Obnoxious and Disliked
Obnoxious and disliked. I'm no historian. My collegiate study of history was limited to the overly specific history of western music. In grad school, it was the history of education; and in seminary, it was church history. The last general history course I took was in high school. And yet I am intrigued by the way in which themes work themselves out through history. I've enjoyed every Ken Burns documentary I ever watched, and a good historical drama can really hold my interest. Throw in some catchy songs and dynamic performances, and BAM! I'm hooked. With that established, I hereby nominate William Daniels for the honor of best musical portrayal of a historical character for embodying John Adams in 1776. I first saw it on TV on the Bicentennial Independence Day, 1976, and he had me. Most of the songs in 1776 are forgettable, with unfortunate lyrics and mediocre melodies. But whatever he's singing or saying, William Daniels sells himself in this role as few actor...