hamilton tour review 2022

Review: HAMILTON National Tour, DPAC

Founding Fathers musical continues to inspire and amaze

I've been a HAMILTON fan since the show first premiered on Broadway back in 2015, so I was thrilled to find out that the tour was once again coming to DPAC. Lin-Manuel Miranda 's musical remains every bit as engaging and innovative today as it was seven years ago. Under Thomas Kail 's direction, the show is one of the most unique to have made it big on Broadway as it presents the history of a Founding Father but with a cast that reflects the diversity of modern America.

If you have somehow missed out on the HAMILTON craze before now, the musical is about the "ten-dollar Founding Father" Alexander Hamilton. Largely overlooked by history, Hamilton was a Revolutionary War hero, the first Secretary of the Treasurer, and the founder of our financial system (and the Coast Guard). The show chronicles his journey from his arrival in America as a young man eager to make his name to his untimely death in a duel with Aaron Burr. Famous figures like George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Thomas Jefferson also make appearances as well as Hamilton's wife Eliza and her sisters Angelica and Peggy.

Zoe Jensen 's Eliza is bright and charming; her "Helpless" is a highlight of the show. Paul Oakley Stovall 's George Washington is so tall and commanding, he actually feels like a fatherly figure to the rest of the characters. I was particularly impressed by David Park 's very energetic Lafayette and refined Jefferson. He did an excellent job of putting his own spin on the role and seemed like he was having a great time.

The tour has done a wonderful job of recreating the design of the original Broadway production. David Korins 's set is so simple and yet so effective. The lighting, by Howell Binkley , is used expertly, particularly in the way it punctuates the music in the war scenes. Meanwhile, Paul Tazewell 's costume design does a perfect job of creating the anachronistic colonial world in which the musical takes place, as tricorner hats and corsets contrast with modern hair and makeup just as the story of the Founding Fathers contrasts with the diverse casting.

HAMILTON really is every bit as good as the hype around it suggests. This tour production has so much energy and allows the humor of the show to shine through, in a way that you might miss just listening to the cast recording. If you're a Hamilfan yourself, I can't recommend getting a ticket to see it enough.

HAMILTON is at DPAC until June 5. You can find more information and buy tickets here .

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

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Theater Review: HAMILTON (North American Tour)

by Tony Frankel on September 29, 2022

in Theater-Los Angeles , Theater-Regional , Tours

OUR FUNKY FOUNDING FATHERS

A hip-hop Alexander Hamilton? A beat-box Father of His Country? A jumping James Madison and a jiveass Jefferson who disses bigtime in a poetry slam? The ten-dollar bill will never be the same (or the dollar note for that matter). A sassy-spunky 2015 blast from the past set to irresistible rhythms,  Hamilton  is a wildly successful revamp (or reclamation) by Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator of  In the Heights ). It feels as revolutionary as the war it covers and as bold as the new nation it celebrates.

A money maker about the credit-worthy man who made our money (our first treasury secretary, co-author of  The Federalist Papers , and deal-maker for a strong government and centralized economy),  Hamilton is indefinitely invincible in this stop at Segerstrom Hall as part of a North American Tour.

Rapping and rampaging in set designer David Korins ’ big barn with wooden walkways and revolving stage, all but dancing to Howell Binkley ’s wizard lighting, Miranda’s makeover finds its heart beat  in “(I’m Not Going to Lose) My Shot” (darkly ironic, considering Hamilton’s demise). This is Hamilton’s declaration of independence as a hopeful, hungry seeker of newly minted glory, driven by a destiny he carves himself. Everything old is new again as we learn “who lives, who dies, who tells your story.”

DeAundre’ Woods tackles the title role with combustible ambition, climbing notes and surmounting obstacles from 1776 to 1800. Along Miranda’s “green brick road” we meet Hamilton’s true if tried helpmate Eliza (lovely Morgan Anita Wood ), his surrogate dad George Washington ( Darnell Abraham ), his ally Madison ( Brandon Louis Armstrong ), his opportunistic foil Burr ( Donald Webber, Jr. ), and his ideological foe Thomas Jefferson ( Paris Nix ). (John Adams, who HBO covered well enough, does not appear.) Keeping it huge as well as real, Miranda includes a sardonically clueless George III ( Rick Negron ), a stalwart Marquis de Lafayette (Nix), Hamilton’s cut-from-the-same-cloth teenage son Philip ( Manuel Stark Santos ), and Angelica Schuyler ( Marja Harmon ), Hamilton’s sustaining Muse and sister-in-law. Some actors are still working on diction, others were heard perfectly.

Drawing from Ron Chernow ’s 2004 biography, the action contrasts private and public happenings to show how, more than politics, history is local. Hamilton seems as much the subtle strategist who became G.W.’s “right hand man” as the skilled suitor to the Schuyler sisters, as much a comer (“History Has Its Eyes on You”) as a marked man (“The World Was Wide Enough”).

Radiating pluck and luck, opposing Northern interests to Southern subversion, Woods’ Hamilton is a dogged campaigner, whether negotiating  affaires d’honneur  (“Ten Duel Commandments”); intriguing for advantage (“Cabinet Battle”); forging a difference (“The Room Where It Happens”); admitting to bribing an irate husband to cover an adulterous affair (“The Reynolds Pamphlet”); or simply settling for some short serenity (“That Would Be Enough”). Paralleling the ardor of his once and future victim with his own aching aspirations, Mr. Webber, Jr.’s Burr (“Wait for It”), himself an orphan, fits Hamilton as Javert does Jean Valjean. Ms. Woods incarnates heartbreak in Eliza’s pop anthem “Burn.” No Madame Tussaud’s waxworks, the ensemble is game for fame.

You can fault Miranda’s fascination with a flawed hero to rewrite the story a bit — but, hey, this is the land of Musical Comedy: No bronze statue in the making, Hamilton was not opposed to slavery. A closet elitist, he was no pal to democracy, despising the mob and cultivating fellow plutocrats. It’s strange that Hamilton was decisive in making his arch adversary Thomas Jefferson our third president: Miranda’s ire at the adulterous slave owner stops him from acknowledging the populist fervor of a virtuous Virginian. (For more dicrepensies to the story, see the displays in the lobby.)

But, pulsating to Andy Klankenbuehler ’s kinetic choreography, Hamilton  is a “non-stop” Pulitzer and Tony-winning musical, not a political testament. A nearly three-hour amusement ride, this is America as seen from the future, not projected from the past. Thomas Kail ’s faithful staging squeezes the juices from Miranda’s R&B magic-making. When it’s not S.R.O. (which it was on opening night), there will be dancing in the aisles. It’s impossible not to be caught up in the sheer anti-boredom of it all, thrill-making 21st-century theatricality to rechristen the republic.

photos by Joan Marcus

HAMILTON reviewed at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa Tues-Fri at 7:30; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 1 & 7 ends on October 16, 2022 at Segerstrom for tickets, call (714) 556-2787 or visit SCFTA tour continues; for dates and cities, visit Hamilton

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Review: Rock-solid ‘Hamilton’ tour mixes familiar staging and choreography with fresh character interpretations

Tickets are scarce for the 11-day run at the San Diego Civic Theatre, but the well-cast company shows how well the musical holds up on the road

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When the pandemic shut down local theaters in March 2020, I satisfied my hunger for stage shows by watching the filmed version of “Hamilton” on the Disney+ network.

I never had the opportunity to see the original 2015 Broadway cast onstage in New York, but I have watched their performances on TV several dozen times. Show writer-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda became my definitive Alexander Hamilton and Leslie Odom Jr. my definitive Aaron Burr. I couldn’t picture anyone but Christopher Jackson as George Washington, Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson, or Philippa Soo and Renée Elise Goldsberry as the Schuyler sisters, Eliza and Angelica.

So it was a pleasant surprise to see the latest national touring production of “Hamilton” arrive in San Diego this week with mostly understudies playing the principal roles in Wednesday night’s performance, due to scheduled vacations, illnesses and injuries.

This touring production — the first “Hamilton” tour visited San Diego in 2018 — is just as taut, athletically danced, emotionally moving and handsomely designed as the Broadway original. But given the opportunity to step into coveted lead roles in Broadway’s most acclaimed musical, these understudies brought fresh energy, interpretations and nuances to their roles.

The 2015 Broadway musical “Hamilton” was inspired by author Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography about the U.S. founding father who was 47 when he died in a duel with political rival Aaron Burr. Miranda’s concept retells Hamilton’s life story as one of an immigrant chasing the American dream. The show features a multiracial cast and rap-infused score. “Hamilton” won 11 Tony Awards and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

As the Revolutionary War hero and first U.S. Treasury Secretary Hamilton, understudy DeAundre’ Woods brought a boyish energy and strong singing and rap skills to the role. He did a nice job transmitting the character’s youthful impatience, but wasn’t as effective at expressing grief in the musical’s later scenes. Understudy Ellis C. Dawson III’s interpretation of Burr is far from Odom’s fiery, coiled energy, but his quiet and unhurried performance feels well-suited to Burr’s cautious nature, and the grief Dawson portrays in the later scenes is palpable.

Morgan Anita Wood is exceptional in her emotional and beautifully vocalized performance as Hamilton’s long-suffering wife, Eliza. Understudy Charlotte Mary Wen, who grew up in San Diego, also makes a strong impression as Hamilton’s brainy sister-in-law Angelica Schuyler, who powers through the high-octane rap “Satisfied” with ease. Wen will continue in this role for several San Diego performances.

Understudy Tré Frazier brings a more youthful ferocity to the role of Washington than the original. And in the dual roles of Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette, Paris Nix shines as the self-absorbed Jefferson, but it’s hard to understand Nix’s French-accented rap as Lafayette.

One benefit of seeing the musical on Disney+ is the ability to turn on the subtitles, because it’s virtually impossible to catch all the fast-moving lyrics in a live show. But it was enlightening to see so many fresh faces and character interpretations in my first post-pandemic live “Hamilton.”

When : 7 p.m. Wednesdays. 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thursdays. 8 p.m. Fridays. 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays. 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Through Nov. 20

Where : San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., San Diego

Tickets: Limited availability. Prices change dynamically due to demand

Online : ticketmaster.com

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Theater Review: ‘Hamilton’ wows in a moving and high energy tour

“How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and Scotsman…grow up to be a hero and a scholar?” The opening lines of “Hamilton” (now playing at the Dr. Phillips Center For the Performing Arts in Orlando, Fla.) ask this very evocative question, which the show proceeds to answer through a clever combination of Broadway theater sensibilities and hip-hop inspired lyrics and rhythms.

“Hamilton” tells the rise and fall, rags to riches story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton from his humble beginnings as an orphan in the Caribbean through his involvement in the Revolutionary War to his contributions as an early American political leader and his eventual death. I won’t spoil too much here in this regard, but I’ve found that most people, if they know anything about Hamilton already, only know that he’s on the $10 bill and the details of his infamous death.

“Hamilton” premiered on Broadway to near universal acclaim and this tour stays true to that original award-winning production, and very much lives up to the hype. Having started its life as a hip hop concept album by writer/creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton” contains almost no spoken dialogue, playing more like a modern day opera with rap. This means that songs flow quickly, one to the other, and the story picks up steam rapidly throughout Act 1 as we follow the events of the Revolutionary War, only slowing down in Act 2 as Alexander becomes mired in the much more difficult job of leading a new country.

This production flies through its nearly two-and-a-half hour runtime moving quickly from song to song at a pace that is, one might say, “non-stop.” The high energy performances and instantly memorable songs keep the audience’s attention the whole way through. The book, songs, and production being what they are, the show truly lives or dies on who tells the story. In “Hamilton,” much of the cast and all of the leads are played by non-white performers. As Miranda says, “America then, as told by America now.” We had a number of stand-ins and understudies taking on major roles the night we attended, but the talent was high and everyone was more than capable. Particular stand-outs include powerhouse Stephanie Umoh as Angelica Schuyler rapping and belting her way through her turning-point song “Satisfied,” and Josh Tower as the narrator Aaron Burr, holding the story together and bringing the house down with the show-stopping “The Room Where it Happened.”

One of the more disappointing parts of the production were the uneven microphone volumes for several performers, including David Park in the dual role of Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. As Lafayette, Park is given some of the most complicated and fastest rap sections of the entire show, and he has to do them with a French accent. This section can already be very difficult to follow and appreciate, and the audio issues did not do him any favors. Hopefully, they can key in on the correct levels for him to utilize in this venue and fix the problem for the rest of the run. Signs in the lobby indicated that an app was offered to allow patrons to view captions on their phones during the performance. While clearly intended for those who are hard of hearing, I could see people of all different abilities taking advantage of this feature for this production.

As laid out in the program itself, the lyrics and song stylings of “Hamilton” contain references to a number of classic hip hop artists such as The Notorious BIG, Mobb Deep, and Grand Master Flash, as well as Broadway hits like “The Pirates of Penzance,” “South Pacific,” and “The Last Five Years.” Borrowing from (and giving credit to) these inspirations firmly grounds the show in both its hip hop and Broadway roots, allowing those with greater knowledge of those genres and influences the chance to recognize lyrics and rhythms that are meaningful to them. It’s in this way that “Hamilton” achieves perhaps its most important feat, creating something that is instantly recognizable and digestible by the patrons of the art form that keep it going today, as well as opening up the art to a whole new group of people that might not have otherwise given theater a chance.

Some people see “Hamilton” and ask, “Who is this for?” I believe the show and production itself answer that question boldly and directly. “Hamilton” is for those who love the spectacle of large, flashy musicals. “Hamilton” is for anyone who’s ever wondered if they might see someone who looks like them in a leading role. “Hamilton” is for those looking to be thoroughly entertained for a couple of hours. In short, “Hamilton” is for you, whoever you may be.

“Hamilton” runs now through Nov 20, 2022 at the Dr. Phillips Center with more tour stops to follow. For tickets check out  drphillipscenter.org  and for more information on “Hamilton” or to find out when the tour will be in a city near you, visit  hamiltonmusical.com .

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Hamilton review – revolutionary musical hits the road with a blazing new cast

Palace theatre, Manchester The new tour of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster is delivered by an outstanding ensemble

A s this UK and Ireland tour is launched, it’s tempting to say that Hamilton is back. But Lin-Manuel Miranda’s phenomenal musical has never really been away. Right now there are five rooms where it happens: in New York, Chicago, London and Manila as well as Manchester, where an outstanding new ensemble deliver its irresistible lyrics with verve.

Miranda’s subject is unwieldy – the US’s newfound independence and constitution, seen through the eyes of its first treasury secretary and told in a whirl of rap battles and revolutionary pamphlets, equestrian attire and elegant robes à l’Anglaise. It runs at more than 20,000 sung-through words but what is most striking, seeing the musical again, is the clarity, economy and unity of storytelling in the songs whose phrases return to be cast in a new light.

Miranda has a gift for distilling emotional states – the burn of ambition, gnawing regret, euphoric new love – and for finding, as the song goes, the quiet moments in the eye of a hurricane. In Thomas Kail’s production, co-directed with choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, the staging is as supple as the verse and propelled by a revolve stage. David Korins’ set design uses unfussy brickwork and wood, the barrels and crates of New York harbour fit for repurpose. The rigging is matched by the sinews of an industrious, bare-armed ensemble who lunge, salute and load invisible weaponry, their moves conveying the triggering of a gun through to the deadly impact.

But never mind who lives and dies, who tells this story? In the lead role it’s the assured Shaq Taylor, a revelatory Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre. Taylor convinces as a poetic dreamer, goofball and fervent nation-builder – a man realising his own potential as he strives to do the same for his country. The production has the unusual distinction of a qualified solicitor playing lawyer Aaron Burr. Sam Oladeinde conveys a legal mind at work, lends smooth enunciation to a character defined by his indecipherable nature, and delivers The Room Where It Happens as if possessed. Taylor and Oladeinde, alone but together, perform the ode to parental pride, Dear Theodosia, with fragile beauty.

As Hamilton’s father figure George Washington, Charles Simmons has the right weathered authority and KM Drew Boateng brings gruff-voiced combustibility as Hercules Mulligan. Billy Nevers’ Lafayette appears drunk on his own rhymes before Nevers returns in scintillating form as Thomas Jefferson, voice as smooth as his velvet (costume design by Paul Tazewell).

As Eliza, Maya Britto builds her young family’s world carefully, ensuring a devastating poignancy when it shatters in the songs Burn and It’s Quiet Uptown. Aisha Jawando, as Angelica, attacks the usually more controlled Satisfied with a fitting rage of frustration. Throughout, lines are given fresh readings by a cast in full flow and full control. Even Peggy is less of a drag here (Gabriela Benedetti, returning as an electric Maria Reynolds).

Daniel Boys’s King George, wearing sparkly crown and shit-eating grin, is every inch the spoilt child. As the bewigged monarch attempts to keep up with the freestyling ensemble during The Reynolds Pamphlet, you have a flash of just how ridiculous an 18th-century hip-hop musical could have looked. But Miranda’s contribution to the “unfinished symphony” of America remains a work of bulletproof brilliance.

At Palace theatre, Manchester , until 24 February, then touring

• Lin-Manuel Miranda

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'Hamilton' is still an edge-of-your-seat Broadway masterpiece | Review

If you loved " Hamilton " the first time the Tony Award-winning musical played in Louisville, treat yourself to a repeat performance. It's back and even better than before.

For a second time since 2019, an enthusiastic audience, anxious to be "In the Room Where It Happens," poured into their seats in the Kentucky Center's Whitney Hall Wednesday as the national touring production of " Hamilton " took the stage for its two week run in Louisville. 

Considered to be one of the most innovative shows to make it big on Broadway, the landmark American musical phenomenon last passed through Louisville for three weeks in 2019. It was scheduled to return in 2021 but due to the pandemic was rescheduled for it's current run, which ends June 19.

If you missed out on the initial "Hamilton" craze when the show first came to Broadway in 2015, it is a musical about the "$10 Founding Father" Alexander Hamilton, one of the country's most important and colorful, yet least remembered (until the musical) characters in American history. Hamilton was a Revolutionary War hero, the first Secretary of the Treasury, the founder of our financial system (that's his signature and face on the $10 bill) and the person responsible for founding the US Coast Guard.

The show chronicles Hamilton's journey, played in the national touring production by Pierre Jean Gonzalez, from his arrival in America as a young man to his untimely death in a duel with Aaron Burr. Famous figures like George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, and Thomas Jefferson also make appearances as well as Hamilton's wife Eliza Schuyler and her sisters, Angelica and Peggy.

You may like: Looking for 'Hamilton' tickets? Here's everything to know about the $10 ticket lottery

If this all sounds like a stodgy history lesson, "Hamilton" is anything but dull. The fast paced spectacular is known for tearing up the musical theater rulebook with a score that is equal parts Stephen Sondheim and Notorious B.I.G ., and a cast of ethnically diverse actors in the roles of the Founding Fathers. And come on, how can you not be inspired by a story about taking your shot, speaking your mind, and turning the world upside down? We should mention that woven throughout the military battles, politic infighting and a couple of deadly duals, composer Lin-Manuel Miranda  also wrote a sweet and touching love story.  

Gonzalez portrays Hamilton as a feisty character brimming with self-confidence and bravado. His vocals first shine in "My Shot," the second song in Act I that lays out Hamilton's mission in life — "Hey yo, I’m just like my country // I’m young, scrappy and hungry // And I’m not throwing away my shot."

And while Hamilton is the lead character, he's certainly not the only star of this touring production. Marcus Choi portrays George Washington as a stoic commander who thrilled the Kentucky Center audience with his powerful performance of "One Last Time" near the middle of Act II. While it's tough to like "villian" Aaron Burr, the actor who plays him, Jared Dixon, is so convincing in the role you may have to remind yourself he's probably a very nice guy (and uber talented performer) in real life. And believe us when we say you'll absolutely be thankful you're "In the Room Where it Happens," when Dixon takes the stage. 

You may like: Got questions about 'Hamilton'? We break down the first song of the musical

The full ensemble shines in the first act, as does the set. The audience's eyes bounce from one level of the gritty multi-tiered set to the next, complete with a rotating stage, to keep up with the action. As the ensemble moves about the space for two hours and 45 minutes of the three-hour production, it's as if the set becomes a supporting character of its own. 

Equally important to the musical numbers in the telling of "Hamilton" is the choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler. It's raw, edgy and emotional and serves as a  serious story driver for the entire production.

Always a showstopper, Wednesday audience cheered the moment the spotlight illuminated Neil Haskell, who plays a bedazzled King George III, and for good reason. Haskell's silly, quirky portayal of the King who was the regent in charge during the American Revolution is a comedic delight. Like a shunned lover, he belts out a purposefully nasal "You'll Be Back" reminding the revolutionaries, "When push comes to shove // I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love!"'

One of the most visually stunning moments of the production occurred in Act I in "Satisfied," when Angelica Schuyler, played by Ta'Rea Campbell, "rewinds" her first meeting with a  young Hamilton, telling audiences she first fell in love with him before introducing him to her sister, Eliza, played by Stephanie Jae Park, whom he ultimately marries. 

Both Campbell and Park are phenomenal in their roles as the two women Hamilton truly loved during his lifetime. Confused? You won't be once you see the musical. 

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We were still holding tight to the arms of our seats when Act II broke loose with some of the most powerful vocals in the show. From a rap battle between Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, played magnificently by Warren Egypt Franklin, who performs double duty also playing "everyone's favorite fighting Frenchman" in the first act as Marquis de Lafayette, to Eliza's public acknowledgment of her husband's "torrid" affair, there was no shortage of top-notch performances. Not to mention two duels, a couple of deaths and Washington's retirement from public service. 

This new cast of the national touring company is every bit as good as the hype around "Hamilton" suggests. The show is overflowing with energy, humor and spellbinding musical numbers. If you have seen the show before, treat yourself to a repeat performance. If you've never seen "Hamilton," promise you won't "throw away your shot" and snag yourself a ticket.    

"Hamilton" is part of the PNC Broadway in Louisville 2021-22 season, which also includes "Anastasia," Aug. 2-7 at the Kentucky Center. For information on "Hamilton," visit  HamiltonMusical.com . For information on PNC Broadway in Louisville's national touring production of "Hamilton," visit  kentuckyperformingarts.org . 

Features Editor Kathryn Gregory contributed to this report. Reach Kirby Adams at [email protected] or Twitter  @kirbylouisville . 

WHAT : Alexander Hamilton, a primary architect of the United States of America, was an immigrant. Enough said. Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical uses hip-hop, soul, jazz, blues and even Broadway-style musical numbers to turn "Hamilton" into one of Broadway's biggest shows in its history. Winner of 11 Tony Awards, "Hamilton" has created a revolutionary moment in theatre as a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics and education.

WHERE : The Kentucky Center, 501 W. Main St., Louisville

WHEN : now through June 19

MORE INFORMATION:  For information on "Hamilton," visit  HamiltonMusical.com . For information on PNC Broadway in Louisville's national touring production of "Hamilton," visit  kentuckyperformingarts.org . 

'Hamilton' ticket lottery

WHAT : A limited number of $10 tickets will be available for every performance of the PNC Broadway in Louisville production of "Hamilton" which runs now through June 19 at the Kentucky Center, 501 W. Main St. The digital lotteries, 40 tickets for each performance, will begin each Friday and close the following Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances.

HOW TO ENTER : Use the official app for "Hamilton" available for all iOS and Android devices in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

The lottery is currently open and will close for entry at 12 p.m. on June 9 prior to the following week’s performances.

Winner and non-winner notifications will be sent between 1-4 p.m Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances via email and mobile push notification. Winners will have two hours to claim and pay for their ticket(s).

Only one entry per person. Repeat entries and disposable email addresses will be discarded.

Each winning entrant may purchase up to two tickets. No purchase or payment is necessary to enter or participate.

Lottery tickets may be picked up at will call beginning two hours prior to the performance with a valid photo ID.

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‘Hamilton’ Review: A Contemporary Classic Dazzles in Boston

While much of the “Hamilton”-mania that consumed American culture during its 2015 Broadway premiere has since died down, the show remains equally as original and engaging to this day. Directed by Thomas Kail, “Hamilton” (The North American Tour) runs from Jan. 17 through March 12 at the Citizens Bank Opera House. The Philip Cast upheld the show's reputation as a bona fide Broadway classic. The Musical’s timeless appeal and undeniable brilliance protects it from many of the common pitfalls that accompany a touring production. Moreover, “Hamilton” in Boston benefits not just from its masterful lyricism, but also from several standout performances and highly inventive staging.

It is no secret that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s biographical reimagining, mostly consisting of rap and hip-hop songs, is a rather stunning lyrical feat. But until audiences find themselves seated for a live production of “Hamilton,” it is hard to fully comprehend the scope of Miranda’s genius. Unlike when watching the filmed production on Disney+, the immersive experience of seeing “Hamilton” live requires a kind of careful attention in audiences that is hard to replicate in a distraction-filled living room.

A key ingredient in the show’s impeccable musical composition is its consistent and effective use of lyrical and sonic motifs. With the entire show sung at a rather brisk pace, it seems as though “Hamilton” would be difficult to comprehend. However, the reality is exactly the opposite. Many of the show’s most famous songs, such as “My Shot” and “Satisfied,” have choruses that reappear throughout the show to connect the various events of Hamilton’s life. This mode of lyrical reprisal lends a pleasant cumulative dimension to the show, using short-term recognition to ease audience comprehension. The end result is the rare musical that simultaneously presents excellent music and powerful messages.

As for the performers giving life to Miranda’s work in Boston, there were no weak links among the cast. However, some stars shined especially bright. Nikisha Williams (“Eliza Hamilton”) stole every one of her scenes with a voice that dazzled the entire opera house. And when Williams performed “Burn,” perhaps the most vocally-demanding and emotionally-charged number in the show, she cemented her standout status by singing and emoting with a deep sorrow that touched everyone in the theater. By never sacrificing believability for excessive dramatics, Williams brought the theater to complete, awe-inspired silence. Jared Dixon (“Aaron Burr”) was also exceptional, as his smooth and rich vocals contrasted beautifully with his character’s increasingly frenzied state of mind.

And while “Hamilton” does cover much important historical ground in its almost three hour running time, Miranda thankfully infuses much of the show with a light, comedic tone. This dimension of the production is most obviously conveyed in the characters of “Thomas Jefferson” and “King George III,” portrayed by Jared Howelton and Neil Haskell, respectively. Both actors imbued their characters with very humorous personalities and mannerisms, eliciting uproars of laughter from the audience on many occasions.

In addition to wonderful performances, the scenic design by David Korins is notably captivating. While the somewhat bare, rope-filled set spanning multiple levels has become iconic, its real success lies in the innovative use of a double-rotating stage. The rotating element makes the eye-catching choreography more dynamic and engaging. And during “The World Was Wide Enough,” when the show opts for a rare moment of stillness among the actors, the jarring contrast with the usually motion-filled stage successfully adds weight to the words being sung.

While this advice may seem superfluous in a post- Hamilfans world, Boston residents and visitors should make every effort to see the show before it leaves Boston in March. This production may not seek to reinvent the original “Hamilton” formula, but luckily for audiences, it’s a winner either way. Whether a reluctant theatergoer, a crazed fan, or somewhere in between, “Hamilton” is an exceptional artistic and educational experience that will win over the hearts of even the most skeptical attendees.

—Staff Brady M. Connolly can be reached at [email protected]

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Hamilton tour review – hit musical starts a new victory lap

The multi-award-winning musical is finally heading across the UK and Ireland

It’s nearing a decade since cultural juggernaut Hamilton catapulted creator Lin-Manuel Miranda into stardom with the kind of once-in-a-generation order of magnitude. It’s since established such a hyperventilating fanbase and reputation that it’s practically fireproof against even ballistic criticism. But it doesn’t have to worry, as this new victory lap tour of the country confirms.

Its formidable stature matches the bracing nature of its hyper-speed hip-hop. Genre of choice for telling the contributions of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton to the American Revolutionary War, Constitution and treasury. We see him pick up this style at college – an immigrant who learns linguistic dexterity and showmanship as fitting in and holding your own. The Cabinet debates he will have are rap battles – precursors to the duels where they’ll grip pistols like the microphones.

The verbal acrobatics don’t just keep it pacey and contemporary. The syncopated beats of “My Shot” become converted by stamping fists and tankards into an ominous undercurrent that echoes “you’re gonna get shot”. Dancers body-pop like they’re taking hits from bullets refracting through them. Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography – immaculately performed – creates a sense of things always in motion as the revolution courses through. The stage revolve presents a whirlwind with him at the centre.

Its slower moments balance the speed but can’t compete with the electricity. There are also jumpy transitions between scenes, songs and genres, such as the indignation of “Burn” or mournful stillness of John Laurens’ death, back into the bustle of politics in “Non-Stop”. Better at offsetting the tone is Daniel Boys’ strutting, pouting King George, lit in regal purple, drawing out “you” and “own” with his will to retain ownership of his subjects.

Shaq Taylor’s Hamilton shows the strain of his competing legacies – familial and political – his rhythm often halted by doubt on his contemplative, weary face. In “It’s Quiet Uptown” he stands proudly and stoically next to his grieving wife, as though unable to break out of the politician and reach her, before they drift off as funereal silhouettes. Powerfully, there’s something ghostly about seeing the culmination of his life in a montage without any music at all – the silence piercing like the bullet that brought it all to an end.

David Korins’ set also reflects the pressure of progress and revolutionary effort. A balcony gives a literal dimension to Washington’s warning: “history has its eyes on you”. Coiled, dangling and stretched ropes suggest something being hoisted into existence, and the combative tug-of-war tensions he’s always engaged in. A brick wall at the back stands crumbling away and being rebuilt.

Some plot and detail is lost in the dense lyrics. It’s exacerbated by an indecisiveness over being a history lesson or character drama. While his relationship with his son seems a legitimate motivation – “if we lay a strong enough foundation, we’ll pass it on to you” – it doesn’t blend. More cursory are the women, which it tries to counter by inventing (or at least embellishing) a love triangle with his wife’s sister that only reinforces their ancillary roles as love interests. Eliza’s final coda, “I’ve put myself back in the narrative”, doesn’t convince.

Still, it brings its greatest feat: the dazzling “Satisfied”, where melodies somersault and lap over each other as the sister’s feelings rise up, while deft tempo switches convey a revolutionary whirr. Its triumph is also demonstrating a mainstream musical phenomenon can be complex rather than undemanding. Hamilton remains a megaton musical achievement.

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History Has Its Eyes on Hamilton (and It Isn't Looking Great)

By Conner Reed April 15, 2022

The company of  Hamilton

Image: Joan Marcus

There’s something haunted about watching  Hamilton  in 2022 . Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Pulitzer-winning smash about the life and times of America’s first secretary of the treasury is only seven years old, but it carries the conspicuous specter of the Obama-era optimism that birthed it. (Playwright Ishmael Reed has been saying as much since at least 2019, when his scathing one-act  The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda  premiered in New York.)  The show’s North American tour arrived in Portland on April 13, and it will hold down the Keller Auditorium for the rest of the month in a nearly sold-out run.  You probably already know if you’ll be there.

Indeed, there is maybe no act more Sisyphean than writing a review of the musical  Hamilton  this many years into its global dominance—the notion that anyone might be agnostic at this point is roughly as insane as asking a stranger point-blank if they “like Adele.” But with distance from the red-hot hype of seven years (and two administrations) ago, it’s easier than ever to clock the show for what it is: an overstuffed, occasionally brilliant book report from the most precocious kid in class. And it’s instructive to consider which of those attributes helped it ascend to cultural juggernaut status.

In case you’re somehow unfamiliar: Hamilton spans from 1776 to the turn of the 19 th century, following young upstart Alexander Hamilton (played by Julius Thomas III) and his perennial frenemy Aaron Burr (Donald Webber, Jr.) as they love, lose, and mingle with a host of American revolutionaries. The score and casting are the kicker: it’s a lily-white story told by a company of color, who rap and croon out slick Broadway R&B as they piece together a fledgling nation.

Hamilton  is nothing if not studious. Miranda’s score overflows with historical detail and bookish witticisms that literal millions now wield like cultural flashcards; names like Marquis de Lafayette and Angelica Schuyler have entered the popular lexicon almost exclusively on the back of this musical. But the problem with that studiousness is the way it chafes against Miranda’s instincts for human-scale drama.  Hamilton ultimately covers too much ground in its frenetic two-and-a-half-hours, and the sporadic infusions of genuine passion (like “Burn,” Eliza Schuyler’s scorned power ballad, or Aaron Burr’s torchy manifesto “Wait for It”) wind up elbowing for space among the too-clever Wikipedia summaries that form the show’s connective tissue. 

In the end, for all its staggering rhymes (many of which fly by so fast you might miss them if you haven't studied in advance),  Hamilton  fails to nail down some fundamental necessities. We never learn why we should care about Alexander Hamilton, specifically—Miranda just supposes we’ll adore him for his ambition—and despite its surface subversions, we're rarely encouraged to think critically about the American institutions being built before our eyes. It’s a show that knows better than to cast white men as our “Founding Fathers,” but not well enough to suppose that those men had flaws more significant than a penchant for social climbing or a light brush with adultery. The few mentions of slavery whizz by without much incident. In 2015, it was easier to take an audience’s fundamental belief in the American experiment for granted; in the harsh light of 2022, catch-phrases like “Immigrants: we get the job done!” sound unbearably facile.

Now, national tours exist to bring musicals to crevices of the country they may not otherwise reach. Theater-lovers—particularly young ones—who have lived and died by the  Hamilton  cast recording will be rightfully delighted at the opportunity to see it in the flesh without footing a travel bill to New York. And as presented in Portland, there are sparks of real magic: Paris Nix is a hoot pulling double duty as Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, and Marja Harmon’s Angelica Schuyler is sharp and charismatic (with pipes that bring to mind a huskier Idina Menzel). But there’s something undeniably distressing about the price audiences will have to pay to get in the door: prime orchestra seats, which typically sell for about $120 at one of the Keller’s Broadway Across America engagements, are running a cool $400 for  Hamilton . (There is, of course, the ultra-competitive lottery , which offers a lucky few $10 tickets each night.)

Maybe that price tag accounts, in part, for the atmosphere of determined enjoyment in the room. At the performance I attended, the show’s opening lyrics were drowned out by the kind of deafening applause you might expect at a Lady Gaga gig, and early melodies were hummed by scores of audience members who may as well have been home watching it all play out on Disney+. The whole evening felt more like dutiful reenactment than live-wire magic making, and it was often hard to tell whether the crowd was moved more by the quality of the material before them or the thrill of recognition. 

The blame for that limpness lies largely with the venue. In New York,  Hamilton  runs in the Richard Rodgers Theater, which seats about 1,300; a sold-out night at the Keller, on the other hand, packs in nearly 3,000 bodies. The space is such a cavern that it dwarfs its own proscenium, making even some of the $400 seats feel miles away from the action. That distance sometimes causes the stage to register more like an enormous screen, and it encourages a mummified engagement where audience and actors do not exchange anything approaching raw energy.

Still, however remote, the production is plenty competent—it retains the Broadway staging's evocative lighting, and only Rick Negron's King George stands out as a real weak link in the cast (he fails to properly exhume the comic riches in his Britpop park-and-bark numbers). Songs like "The World Was Wide Enough" and "The Room Where It Happens" maintain their virtuosic punch, even if others get lost in muddy blocking. If you're expecting Hamilton , you will get Hamilton , and I don't begrudge you that.

Just don't be surprised if you squirm in your seat a bit and find yourself living out an ironic illustration of one of the show’s central themes: you might break your back to get into the room where it happens, but its contents are rarely as satisfying as you’d hope.

7:30 p.m. Tue–Fri, 1 & 8 p.m. Sat, 2 & 7 p.m. Sun through May 1, Keller Auditorium, $65–400

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Theatre Review: ‘Hamilton’ at Kennedy Center

Pierre Jean Gonzalez as Hamilton) at Kennedy Center. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s theatrical sensation, “Hamilton,” has finally returned to DC for a long run at the Kennedy Center after pandemic delays. Like many, I saw the filmed version and was finally able to see it on stage. Although the filmed version has the original, award-winning Broadway cast, it does lose some of the magic that comes with a live theatre performance. Not only can you smell the greasepaint, but you can feel the vibrations of cannonballs and the drumbeats. You can almost smell and taste the residual gunpowder as it wafts through the air.

…amazing theatre and has become a standard for this century’s American musical…It educates, entertains, and gives us insight into ourselves and others, both famous and forgotten. 

In the film version, some of the wonderful choreography is lost. Every corner of the set is filled with extraordinary dancers who are, at times, moving differently but synchronized—each helping tell the history of our first Secretary of the Treasury.

David Korins’ scenic design is superb—in a class with few others—creating wonderful and memorable visuals. There are so many angles and details that are lost on screen which are visible in a live performance. The set tells its own story about what New York City (Manhattan in particular) was like at a time long before skyscrapers.

Rather than retelling the general facts of the plot, the MD Theatre Guide review of the Disney+ film of the Broadway production can be found here and our review from the first visit of the 2018 tour can be accessed here.

On this tour, Pierre Jean Gonzalez plays Alexander Hamilton and his talent is equal to anyone who has taken on the role. He makes us believe he is this complex, historical character. Gonzalez is equally comfortable in the rap-style “My Shot”as he is singing the melancholy “It’s Quiet Uptown” with Vanessa Magula who played his wife, Eliza. (Magula is listed as an understudy as were several of the actors on press night.)

The story is as much about Aaron Burr as it is about Hamilton and Miranda gives Burr the opening and one of the closing numbers. Jared Dixon takes on this complicated, and sometimes erratic, man who starts off as Alexander’s friend and becomes his mortal enemy. The opening number, “Alexander Hamilton” is Miranda’s way of drawing us into their conflict. “The World Was Wide Enough” is a Miranda’s own look of how to reconcile the two. Dixon makes us think how different this nation might have been if Burr and Hamilton could have put aside their differences and, in Burr’s case, jealousies. This is illustrated in the song which has now become part of standard, political jargon—”The Room Where It Happens.”

Magula’s Eliza is both soft and strong. Although wealthy, the real Eliza Hamilton learned about the harsh realities of life. She lost her son in a duel and her husband not only cheated on her, but told the world about it. When they finally reconciled, he was killed. Eliza’s love for Alexander is made clear by Magula’s performance which brought tears to many in the audience during her final monologue.

Ta’Rea Campbell wonderfully portrays Angelica Schuyler, the older sister to Eliza, and accentuates Eliza’s sweetness. Although also drawn to Hamilton, she is a bit smarter and savvier than her sibling. Campbell and Julia Estrada (understudy who also plays Maria Reynolds) as Peggy Schuyler join Magula in the saucy tune, “The Schuyler Sisters,” which are one of the many highlights of the show. In “Satisfied,” Angelica come to terms that her relationship with Hamilton will remain plutonic because of her loyalty to her sister.

Playing the formidable role of General, and later, President George Washington, is Marcus Choi. We sometimes think of Washington as one-dimensional and larger than life. However, Choi creates a character of depth—one who cared about his men (“Right Hand Man”) and loved his country more than power.

The most hilarious role is King George III, played by Neil Haskell. Haskell’s performance deserves the thunderous applause he received. It is one of the few numbers where the performer is alone on stage. “You’ll be Back” and “I Know Him” are witty and, in contrast to the other performances, Haskell’s is delightfully over the top.

Warren Egypt Franklin takes on both the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. Both men are a little less glorious than the heroes we imagine—Lafayette is a bit debauched and Jefferson is a foppish snob. His standoff in the “Cabinet Battle #1 and #2” with Hamilton and Washington are both entertaining and insightful.

Marcus Johns (understudy who also plays John Laurens) also gives a memorable performance as Philip Hamilton, Alexander and Eliza’s oldest son. He captures the young boy in “Take a Break” and the teen in “Blow Us Away.”

There are also noteworthy performances by Conroe Brooks (understudy) as Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, Christopher Rice-Thomson (understudy) as Philip Schuyler, James Reynolds and Doctor, Gabriel Hyman as Charles Lee, and Trevor Miles as George Eacker. The Ensemble on press night were Aaron J. Albano, Taylor Broadard, Demarious R. Copes, Pedro Garza, Cyndal Gilmore, Kristen Hoagland, Gabriel Hyman, Mallory Michaellann, Taeko McCarroll, Trevor Miles, and Christopher Rice-Thompson. It was impossible to tell who were the regular performers and who were the understudies/swings—no one missed a note or a step. Cheers for understudies and swings—theatre would grind to a halt without them!

Paul Tazewell puts a little contemporary spin on the 17th century costumes. Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography is a little Bob Fosse, a little Jerome Robbins, and a little Cardi B. Every movement has meaning. Lighting design by Howell Binkley and sound design by Nevin Steinberg make you feel that you are right there in New York City or the battlefield. 

With music, lyrics, and book by Miranda (based on the book, “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow) and direction by award-winner Thomas Kail, “Hamilton” is amazing theatre and has become a standard for this century’s American musical. If you are devotee of musical theatre, this is one you don’t want to miss. It educates, entertains and gives us insight into ourselves and others, both famous and forgotten.

Running Time: Two hours and 45 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

Advisory: Recommended for ages 10+. There is some strong language and non-graphic adult situations.

“Hamilton” runs through October 9, 2022 at the Kennedy Center Opera House, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20566. For more information and tickets, click here. You can purchase a max of 8 tickets for the run of “Hamilton .” A limited number of $49 Rush tickets will be available for every performance  beginning 2 hours prior to curtain time at the Kennedy Center Box Office, except for the Sunday matinee performance when Rush tickets will go on-sale at noon. Tickets are subject to availability and have no guaranteed location.  2 tickets max per person. Void if resold. Covid Policy: Masks are required for all patrons inside all theaters during performances at the Kennedy Center unless actively eating or drinking.

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About the author, susan brall.

Ms. Brall is a graduate of the City College of New York with a B.A. in Theater. She has an M.A. in Theater from the State University of New York in Binghamton with a concentration in Directing. Growing up in New York City gave her a chance to see many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. After college she worked as a Recreational Therapist and Activities Director. In that capacity she edited several house newsletters. Although not directly employed in Theater, Ms. Brall worked in community theater in this area as well as New Jersey and central Pennsylvania as a director, assistant director, stage manager and other behind the scenes jobs. She also served as president of the former Columbia Community Players. Ms. Brall also lectures on theatre at a senior center.

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‘Hamilton’ (Theater Review)

Sick of saying “Happy Holidays” year after year? Clevelanders now have the option of greeting each other with “Happy Hamilton,” at least in the vicinity of Playhouse Square. After all, are we not happy that the play is in town for the duration of the holiday season?

The Tony Award-winning masterpiece by Lin-Manuel Miranda , which follows the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton, became an instant phenomenon upon its Broadway debut in 2015. Too often, this reviewer finds himself disappointed by over-hyped entertainment pieces. Nothing could possibly be as hyped up as ‘Hamilton,’; nothing could have not only met but EXCEEDED said hype the first time I saw ‘Hamilton’ in 2018!

Fast forward to December 2022, ‘Hamilton’ has made its triumphant return to Cleveland (with performances through January 15). There are currently three touring versions of the production, with the ‘Phillip Tour’ cast arriving here in Northeast Ohio. It goes without saying that no performer earns a spot with ‘Hamilton’ unless they ooze with talent. Collectively, this troupe is as top-notch as I have ever witnessed in any production. It is nothing short of a miracle that the stage didn’t collapse trying to support the weight from all of the talents it is holding.

For the uninitiated, ‘Hamilton’ tells the story of the country’s founding fathers, highlighting the influences of polarizing historical figures including Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, George Washington, James Madison, and even King George III. (And, of course, the play’s namesake Alexander Hamilton!)

Often described as a HIP-HOP musical, that label is somewhat lacking in accuracy. Sure, most of the numbers have a strong beat to them, fast-moving dialog, witty rhymes, and clever timing. But, as a Popular Music critic by trade, it’s difficult to pigeonhole these tunes as HIP-HOP. The show also contains many traditional powerful vocal numbers that are on par with most popular musicals. For those not hip to the HIP-HOP, don’t be scared to give ‘Hamilton’ a try.

The show beings abruptly. After a (very) minimal pause after the houselights go down and without an overture, the booming early notes welcome Aaron Burr ( Jared Dixon ), who sings the opening stanza, followed by the other top-billed members of the cast and eventually the ensemble, who trade off lines that basically spoils the entire story of the play (including the bombshell that Burr is the “damn fool” that shoots Hamilton near the end.) Traditional theater etiquette is partially discarded (as it should be for this particular show) with raucous cheers to the opening notes and upon the entrance of select cast.

Alexander Hamilton’s first big number, “My Shot,” immediately showcases the skills of Pierre Jean Gonzalez in the titular role. He sings of being “young, scrappy, and hungry” and declares he is not throwing his shot. Immediately, it is clear that Gonzalez interprets his character differently than his predecessors, including role originator and show creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. He made the character his own with different mannerisms and voice inflections; not at all trying to mimic nor imitate Miranda’s stylings.

The Schuyler sisters, daughters of Senator Philip Schuyler, were introduced early on. Eliza ( Nikisha Williams ), who would marry Hamilton later in Act One, alongside Ta’Rae Campbell in the role of Angelica, dazzled from the moment they took the stage. Williams’ powerful vocals, at minimum, equaled original cast member Phillipa Soo, and she had one of the most impressive performances in Act Two with “Burn.”

Early Act One highlights include a performance from Neil Haskell in the role of King George. The audience-favorite performance of “ You’ll Be Back” had almost everyone laughing out loud at the cleverness of the lyrics and Haskell’s knack for both overt and subtle comedic shenanigans. Haskell would return for two more numbers later in the show which drew equally hearty laughter.

Also in Act One, we are introduced to Marcus Choi in the role of George Washington, who showcases his pipes on “Right Hand Man” and later in Act Two with “One Last Time.”

Showstopper “Yorktown” features several of the leads and left audience members’ hearts pounding. It’s darn near impossible for this writer to pick a favorite song from Act One, but this definitely receives an honorable mention (at the very least).

Act Two begins equally as abruptly as the start of the show, with some patrons still scurrying back to their seats when the cast returned to the stage.

The true show-stealer of this performance of ‘Hamilton’ is Warren Egypt Franklin , who played the role of Marquis de Lafayette in Act One and returned as Thomas Jefferson in Act Two. He kicked off Act Two with “What’d I Miss,” which showcased his versatility with his ability to switch characters on a dime.

The 2015 graduate of Cleveland Metropolitan School District made his hometown proud. While attending Baldwin Wallace University, Franklin took a trip to see the original Broadway cast in New York City and was fortunate enough to have backstage access after the show. When face-to-face with Lin-Manuel Miranda, he prophesized that he was going to play this role in ‘Hamilton’ once he graduated. Miranda told him to keep his vigor. By golly gee whiz, his dream came true!

Franklin turned to the small screen in a recurring role on the Hulu series Grownish during the pandemic shutdown prior to rejoining ‘Hamilton’ upon theaters reopening. At 25 years young, this Northeast Ohio native is only getting started. Mark my words: bigger and better things are to come for Franklin.

Read our interview with Warren Egypt Franklin

Other than the aforementioned “Burn” and “One Last Time,” the award for the top highlight of Act Two is given to “The Room Where It Happens.”

‘Hamilton’ gives insight into both the good and nasty sides of the founding fathers. Infidelity, blackmail, backstabbing, and collusion all take place in Act Two. Set at the beginning times of the United States, it seems as though the early leaders, Hamilton included, set the tone for politicians’ behaviors from then to the present day! (Am I wrong?) Alexander finds himself caught in a love affair, which leads to all sorts of trouble for him and kills his chances of ever becoming president.

The creative set design, complete with folding staircases and a rotating circle (Lazy Susan style) in the center of the stage helps characters seemingly move as quickly as the dialog. The rotating centerpiece is especially effective during one of the show’s final scenes where Hamilton meets his end during his still-talked-about duel with his friend-turned-foe, Burr.

The performances are so great in this show that the costume design and choreography, which would be standouts in any other show, seemingly are taken for granted by most theatergoers. Speaking of being taken for granted, my goodness, what can be said about this troupe’s ensemble? The strong vocal performances and dancing are also overshadowed, but not lost on this reviewer. It won’t be long before these performers deservingly land named roles.

Bravo to this incredible show! Don’t throw away your shot to be in the room where it happens. Limited tickets remain for performances through January 15.

WARREN EGYPT FRANKLIN INTERVIEW (HAMILTON CAST)

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Arts & Entertainment

Theater review: 'hamilton' tour at the bushnell, "hamilton" caps the bushnell's 2021/2022 season and runs through july 10..

Nancy Sasso Janis , Patch Mayor

Hartford - The celebrated Broadway musical “Hamilton” has returned to The Bushnell in Hartford and I was finally in “The Room Where It Happens.”

The wildly-popular musical features book, music and lyrics by the profoundly talented Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was inspired by Ron Chernow’s book Alexander Hamilton. Miranda earned his B.A. from Wesleyan University in 2002 and lives in New York with his family. The meteoric rise of the show began in Feb. 2015 at the Public Theater in New York City.

Thomas Kail directed the “Phillip” touring production , with stunning choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and music supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. The hands of Emmanuel Schvartzman can be seen leading the singers from the pit in his position as music director. Lacamoire and Miranda are credited with the musical arrangements.

Find out what's happening in Greater Hartford with free, real-time updates from Patch.

This is the story of America then, told by America now, featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, “Hamilton” has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theater - a musical that truly has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.

At the press performance that I attended, the beautifully inclusive cast was just as Miranda envisioned his production to appear. In hindsight I almost wished that I had not watched the filmed version of the original cast. I enjoyed the recording immensely, especially seeing how the pieces of the score with which I was so familiar come together. I think I would have appreciated watching all of the moving parts work together if I had viewed them live onstage for the first time. However, just like the experience of seeing a favorite musical more than once, rest assured that this show still has the ability to “Blow Us All Away.”

I loved the candles in the background for “Helpless” and the overall staging of “Wait for It.” The battle of “Yorktown” is a masterpiece of musical theater to my mind.

Pierre Jean Gonzalez, New York born and raised, dons the green waistcoat to portray the title character. As do most of the lead actors in the cast, he tries to make the role his own.

Stephanie Jae Park, who appeared on Broadway in the original cast of “Warpaint” and “The King and I,” is luminous in the role of the “best of wives, best of women” Eliza (Schuyler) Hamilton. Her performance of “Burn” is a highlight.

Jared Dixon, who formerly toured with “The Lion King” and “The Color Purple,” gives a strong performance in the role of the villainous Aaron Burr.

Ta ‘Rea Campbell, who appeared as Nala on Broadway in “The Lion King” and was Deloris in the national tour of “Sister Act,” has a strong voice as Angelica Schuyler and Neil Haskell, who appeared in the original cast of “Hamilton” on Broadway, delightfully brings out the comedy in the role of King George. However, there are other, often unexpected, bits of comedy for those who are listening closely.

Marcus Choi in the important role of George Washington grew on me as his performance unfolded and ended very strongly. Choi was part of the original Broadway cast of the “Flower Drum Song” revival and “Wicked.”

The actors who portray at least two supporting characters all do well with the demands of their roles. Warren Egypt Franklin gets to portray his dream role of “Laf/Jeff,” both Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson (the jazz number “What’d I Miss.”) Conroe Brooks looms large as Hercules Mulligan and then James Madison in the second act.

Paige Smallwood, Eponine in the national tour of “Les Miserables,” is a delightful Peggy Schuler and a sultry Maria Reynolds. Native Californian Elijah Malcomb takes on the roles of John Laurens and Hamilton’s son Philip.

Nick Sanchez steps out of the ensemble to portray patriarch Philip Schuylar, Maria’s husband James Reynolds and a doctor. Ensemble member Devin Tyler Hatch sings the role of Samuel Seabury and ensemble member Christopher Rice-Thompson plays Charles Lee. Trevor Miles steps up to play George Eacker in his national tour debut.

The other members of the hard-working and multi-talented ensemble include Allie Jordan Butcher in her national tour debut, Jonathan Christopher, DeMarius R. Copes, Nicole deRoux as “the bullet,” Cyndal Gilmore, Vanessa Magula, and Quiantae Thomas.

The ten members of the orchestra cover the iconic score well, with Schvartzman as conductor and keyboard 1 and Associate Music Director Kat Sherrell on keyboard 2. Austin Burket is concertmaster and violin 1 and there are credited Ableton and synthesizer and drum programmers, for those who understand music production far better than I do, especially my companion.

The scenic design by David Korins (“Dear Evan Hansen”) has two levels that are used throughout the two acts and a rotating portion of the stage that is used judiciously to enhance some key scenes. The members of the ensemble are often so critical to the action that I began to think of them as an extension of the scenic design. The costumes that were designed by Paul Tazewell are more than the off-white uniforms that are associated with the show and also become integral to the look of the stage. Wig and hair design by Charles G. LaPointe

The sound design by Nevin Steinberg was uneven, with elements of the orchestra and even some voices at times too “Quiet Uptown.” On the other hand, the lighting design by Howell Binkley is simply stellar on all counts and made the battle scenes come to life.

“Hamilton” caps The Bushnell’s 2021/2022 season and runs through July 10. Be forewarned that it contains a bit of foul language and that it runs 2 hours 45 minutes, with one intermission.

Tickets still available - best availability 6/28-7/10: bushnell.org/Hamilton Tickets range in price from $59 - $249 .IMPORTANT: Masks are required for all while in the building unless actively eating or drinking for the run of “Hamilton.”

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.

Patch Mayors are trusted local users who help moderate the Patch platform by promoting good local stories and flagging unwanted content. To learn more, click here.

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• Theatre, Musicals
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Cleve September (Laurens), Jamael Westman ( Hamilton), Jason Pennycooke (Lafayette) & Tarinn Callender (Mulligan)

Giles Terera (Aaron Burr)

Jamael Westman (Alexander Hamilton) 

Jason Pennycooke (Thomas Jefferson)

Rachelle Ann Go (Eliza Hamilton) and Jamael Westman (Alexander Hamilton)

Rachelle Ann Go (Eliza), Rachel John (Angelica) and Christine Allado (Peggy) - The Schuyler Sisters

Michael Jibson (King George)

Time Out says

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s visionary musical lives up to the hype

This review is from 2017. 

Okay, let’s just get this out of the way. ‘Hamilton’ is stupendously good. Yes, it’s kind of a drag that there’s so much hype around it. But there was a lot of hype around penicillin. And that worked out pretty well. If anything – and I’m truly sorry to say this – Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical about Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the US Treasury, is actually better than the hype suggests.

That’s because lost in some of the more waffly discourse around its diverse casting and sociological import is the fact that ‘Hamilton’ is, first and foremost, a ferociously enjoyable show.

You probably already know that it’s a hip hop musical, something that’s been tried before with limited success. Here it works brilliantly, because Miranda – who wrote everything – understands what mainstream audiences like about hip hop, what mainstream audiences like about musical theatre, and how to craft a brilliant hybrid. Put simply, it’s big emotions and big melodies from the former, and thrilling, funny, technically virtuosic storytelling from the latter.

‘Alexander Hamilton’, the opening tune, exemplifies everything that’s great about the show. It’s got a relentlessly catchy build and momentum, a crackling, edge-of-seat sense of drama, and is absolutely chockablock with information, as the key players stride on to bring us up to speed with the eventful life that Hamilton – the ‘bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman’ – led before he emigrated to America in 1772 as a teenager. (NB there’s no need to swot up on your history – it tells you everything you need to know).

Thomas Kail’s restaged Broadway production is confident but not flashy: a series of taut, almost tableaux-like scenes with a crisp, minimal set and choreography that allows the music, words and the striking figures of the cast – largely BAME actors in period dress – to take centre-stage.

If there were worries a Brit cast might struggle, they’re unfounded. Relative newcomer Jamael Westman is a revelation in the title role: he can spit lines like a machine gun, sing like a dream, and being both young and prodigiously tall he perfectly channels Hamilton’s gaucheness, as the socially inept but relentlessly driven immigrant sets about trying to liberate and reform America with feather-ruffling vigour. Pitched against him is silky smooth Giles Terera as Hamilton’s mentor and nemesis Aaron Burr, a smart, inscrutable career politician increasingly dismayed by the success of Hamilton’s unconventional methods. There’s a touch of Mozart-Salieri to their relationship. But one of the strengths of ‘Hamilton’ is that it’s a rare musical that acknowledges real life is more complicated than heroes and villains: we see that Hamilton is a bit of a dick; we know Burr was hardly evil.

The first half of the show has the most terrific sense of velocity I’ve ever experienced in a theatre production. Miranda and Kail know exactly what buttons to press and when. We get the kinetic, virtuosic, info-heavy numbers. But it’s properly funny too. The interludes in which our very own George III (Michael Jibson) pops up to pass sneering comment are hilarious, and come with an infernally catchy song, the lovely, Beatlesy ballad  ‘You’ll Be Back’. Elsewhere Jason Pennycooke is absolutely glorious in the dual role of frenzied Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette and preening, Prince-alike Thomas Jefferson. The show certainly doesn’t shy away from the fact that historical figures rapping is fundamentally amusing.

Like an expertly sequenced mixtape, ‘Hamilton’ never settles on one tempo for too long. The introduction of the Schuyler sisters – Hamilton’s future wife Eliza (Rachelle Ann Go) and his soulmate Angelica (Rachel John) – lobs a bit of sparky, ’90s-style R&B into the mix, and cedes the bloke-tastic narrative to its female characters (briefly). And then Obioma Ugoala’s booming George Washington adds another shade entirely – a rumbling, soulful giant who rises over Hamilton and his incessant squabbling.

The second half is bleaker. After the hero’s last legislative triumph – marked by Burr’s tour de force number ‘The Room Where It Happens’, clearly the greatest song anyone will ever write about a clandestine tax deal – our hero goes into decline. The ending is soulful and sad and lower-key than you might expect. But the final question, ‘who tells your story?’, is also the exact right poser to end things on.

That’s because the great symbolic power of ‘Hamilton’ lies in its bold placement of immigrants, minorities and their culture at the very centre of the American narrative: it says, this story is ours too.

Does it feel quite so important in London? Inevitably it still feels like an American story. But we’re a nation hooked on American stories. And it is celebratory of multiculturalism and immigration, things our city knows very well. Plus, in an age when some berks still write in angrily if a black person gets a minor role in a BBC costume drama, it is of tremendous significance that a group of relatively unknown BAME actors are in a period show that is, by a really very long way, the best and cleverest thing on the London stage.

I could bore on about ‘Hamilton’ as a sociological phenomenon for days, and considered in those terms, there are faults to find, from male-centricity to US jingoism and more. But what’s great is that in the room where it happens you don’t think about any of that. Whether or not ‘Hamilton’ is the best musical of our generation – it clearly is, but whatever – it’s been a hit for the only reason anything is a hit: because it is a great work of entertainment.

Find out  here  about cheap, last-minute and alternative ways to get ‘Hamilton’ tickets.

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Mick Jagger during opening night of The Rolling Stones’ “Hackney Diamonds” tour at NRG Stadium, April 28, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the Rolling Stones; used with permission)

The Rolling Stones opened their 2024 tour on April 28, their first U.S. run since Fall 2021. The concert, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Tex., was their first stage performance since they gave an invitation-only seven-song club date in New York City last Oct. 19, in which they previewed four songs from their Hackney Diamonds album. The album, for which this tour is named, is their first studio effort of all-new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang .

On 2024’s opening night, they played three tracks from the new album, as well as songs spanning from their vast catalog. (See the setlist below.)

The Stones ‘ last tour—in 2022—was limited to 14 concerts, all in Europe and the U.K. [ Our recap of the closing night, Aug. 3, in Berlin.] The 2021 U.S. edition of their “No Filter” tour was their first without Charlie Watts, who died shortly before the tour began.

Unlike their last two tours which began with a video tribute to Watts, Sunday night’s show in Houston, began with a frequent opener, “Start Me Up.”

Early on, they dug deep into their early catalog to perform “Out of Time,” which Jagger said they had never performed in the States before.

Next up was “Angry,” the first track they played from the new album.

Shortly thereafter, “Mess It Up,” also from Hackney Diamonds , made its concert debut.

“Tumbling Dice” came midway through the set.

The Stones’ tour schedule offers the band many days off in between the 19 shows. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both turned 80 in 2023. Ronnie Wood is a relative youngster, having turned “just” 76 last June 1. The 19 dates span a whopping 11 1/2 weeks; it doesn’t conclude until July 17.

Ronnie Wood during opening night of The Rolling Stones’ “Hackney Diamonds” tour at NRG Stadium, April 28, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the Rolling Stones; used with permission)

“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” closed the main set.

The first of two encores was “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” from the new album.

They closed the show with their 1965 classic.

By performing three songs from  Hackney Diamonds , it meant that several chestnuts needed to be excluded from the setlist, including “Street Fighting Man,” “Angie,” and “Midnight Rambler.” (It’s been several years since the Stones last played “Brown Sugar.”)

The Rolling Stones, NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, April 28, 2024 Setlist Start Me Up Get Off of My Cloud Rocks Off Out of Time Angry Beast of Burden Mess It Up Tumbling Dice You Can’t Always Get What You Want Little T&A Sympathy For the Devil Gimme Shelter Honky Tonk Women Miss You Paint It Black Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Encore Sweet Sounds of Heaven (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger during opening night of The Rolling Stones’ “Hackney Diamonds” tour at NRG Stadium, April 28, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the Rolling Stones; used with permission)

Thanks to Fake Fan, Gentry Allen, Shonana and Christopher Mogenson for the videos. Tickets for the Stones’ tour are available at Ticketmaster and StubHub .

Related: Links for 100s of classic rock tours

Hackney Diamonds , and other Stones’ albums, books and merchandise, is available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here .

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3 Comments so far

It was a fantastic concert! Full energy the whole set. Gary Clark Jr was an awesome opener.

The Stones’ should of asked Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman to tour with them. Mick Taylor of course left the Band during their Golden years. He was their lead and best guitarist from 1969 -1974 when the Stones made their best music. Bill Wyman was there from the beginning. With Charlie and Brian gone, Mick & Keith are the only original members.

What are talking about? Bill Wyman is almost 88 years old and looks like he should be in retirement home instead of concert stage. Not sure what is Mick Taylor’s condition in these days. At least he’s 13 years younger than Bill.

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UK & Ireland Tour

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