Hamilton is perfect in every shot
Hamilton is brilliant theater. No wonder tickets were for a time being sold and selling for a thousand dollars each on Broadway. The musical gets all its shots right. It is funny, romantic, inspiring, engaging, absolutely well-written and an absolute blast.
Creator Lin Manuel Miranda, music, lyrics and book, is a genius. I wonder what sort of light bulb popped over his head and gave him the idea to turn America’s founding fathers into young rappers in the midst of a revolution, and with a multi-racial cast at that. But whatever it was, it worked wonderfully.
Now playing at The Theatre at Solaire, Hamilton is a sung and rapped through musical about the remarkable life of Alexander Hamilton. An orphan from the island of Nevis on the Caribbean, Hamilton got sent to study in New York through the help of people who saw in him the promise of greatness. And they were proven right.
The orphan Hamilton rose up to play a major role in the American revolution. A lawyer, he was appointed secretary to George Washington, a financial wizard, he became secretary of the treasury, an indefatigable writer he authored most of the Federalist Papers. He got his shots right almost every time. His image would also later turn up on America’s 10-dollar bill.
As rapped in the opening number Alexander Hamilton, “He got a lot farther by working a lot harder/ By being a lot smarter/ By being a self-starter.” Being so in the midst of a new country feeling its way around earned him the envy of co-workers. One of them Aaron Burr would later shoot him fatally in a duel.
Although clad in period costumes in a seemingly candle-lit wooden set, the actors told this story clearly in today’s language in Hamilton. Washington, John Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, were all there rapping to this beat that introduced the show. Take note when you watch.
This beat stayed around throughout and would surface from time to time as the tale moved seamlessly along while turning the audience into happy bobble heads. Just, one thing though. I don’t think there was a Benjamin Franklin up there on stage.
Franklin should have been there, but sadly, he was not missed as Miranda told such a richly detailed piece of history that filled up almost three hours. As Washington so rightly warned Hamilton, “History has its eyes on you.” And it is indeed as audiences who have enjoyed the musical are now looking at Hamilton with admiring eyes.
Not so at Burr, the “damn fool who shot him.” Burr is the Javert to Hamilton’s Jean Valjean and the role is every bit as powerful as the lead. The Manila cast got a very good one in De Aundre’ Woods who charmed everybody as that damn fool.
This is not to denigrate the other members of the cast. Hamilton is a great piece of ensemble work with all the actors performing like a well-oiled machine. Jason Arrow as Hamilton, Akina Edmonds as Angelica Schuyler, Darnell Abraham as Washington, David Park as Lafayette and Jefferson and everyone else.
Then, there is Rachelle Ann Go. That she is Filipino and is playing Elizabeth Schuyler is a heartwarming touch to having Hamilton in town. What a marvel this tiny singing champion has grown into.
She came to Hamilton armed with her beautiful crystal-clear tones for the show’s beautiful ballads. Along with these she competently went from one of the fun-loving Schuyler sisters to woman in love, grieving mother, betrayed wife and to the one who lives, who tells the story and ends it powerfully with that tearful gasp.
It is so amazing that Lin Manuel Miranda also thought of that ending.
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