Review by Chris Heide
Company- HAMILTON National Tour- (c) Joan Marcus
There is good theatre, and then there is great theatre. Good theater is the kind of entertainment that provides an escape from the monotony of everyday life. Great theatre elevates that enthralling entertainment and imbues it with social commentary. Hamilton is the latter. For those who may have been living under a rock, Hamilton is a musical created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which tells the story of Alexander Hamilton. All the important founding fathers make appearances in this story including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Thematically, the show is about taking chances and how the choices that come from those chances are often propelled by a desire to gain power. Even more so than when it debuted on Broadway, Hamilton provides a stark and harrowing parallel to the modern state of political affairs in America. We are, after all, a nation built by immigrants.
I originally saw Hamilton when it came to Seattle on its first national tour, fresh off a dazzling and groundbreaking performance. My prominent memory of that time was not one from the actual show. My good friend was nine months pregnant and insisted that she not miss Hamilton during its tour. The zeitgeist surrounding Hamilton was unprecedented. Tickets were hard to get, and it was more surely the hottest show in town.
This time around, the show is still a hot commodity. Likely propelled by the recorded version that appeared on streaming during Covid, is it one of the most known musicals around. The theater was packed on this particular Wednesday night, with an audience hungry for stellar entertainment, an audience deeply familiar with the book, lyrics, and score.
Justin Matthew Sargent- HAMILTON National Tour- (c) Joan Marcus
My overall impression of Hamilton remains unchanged. It is one of the most intentional and well thought out musicals to ever be created. Everything is intentional; the lyrics, dialogue, score, choreography, and staging all serve an intentional purpose. It is one of the rare shows that feels entirely complete. As always, the talents of the actors were unparalleled. Their mastery over the fast-paced dialogue, the depth of their emotional performances, and their understanding of the context of the material was noticeable and downright impressive. While the actors playing Hamilton, Jefferson, and Eliza were amazing, the standout performance was, of course, fan-favorite King George, played by Justin Matthew Sargent.
Hamilton continues to prove its place as a standout Broadway show and an important conversational piece of pop-culture zeitgeist.
Here are Some Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Hamilton:
To date, the song “Guns and Ships” has the fastest spoken words in Broadway’s musical history.
It took Lin Manuel-Miranda an entire year to finish writing the first song “Alexander Hamilton”.
The King’s white wig is made from Yak hair