Sydney James Harcourt is now in the role of Aaron Burr, which is the very same role that earned Leslie Odom Jr. a Tony—this year—and Harcourt is brilliant as Burr. He shatters the stage and builds it back, one word and gesture at a time, demonstrating the genius that works behind the scenes in “Hamilton.”
Also new to the stage is Javier Muñoz, who is now Alexander Hamilton, and his performance is complex, delivering the star quality many wondered whether could match that of “Hamilton” creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The answer is yes, he does. Some credit should be given to Miranda, who knew what he was doing in all of the casting choices, especially in choosing his replacement. Muñoz was never Miranda’s understudy. His official role was Miranda’s alternate. A distinction to be sure.
Christopher Jackson in the role of George Washington threatens to topple the very stage that he commands.
Okieriete Onaodowan, who plays both Hercules Mulligan and the sickly and demure James Madison, gives the kind of performances that makes one wish that he could be carefully duplicated and inserted into every upcoming production. Yes, he’s that good.
In the role of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson is Andrew Chappelle, whose performance was so comically layered that I pondered if, by some strange alchemy, the two men themselves managed to squeeze back through a portal in time, but this one packed with wit. Chappelle’s performance was fearless.
What makes “Hamilton,” an unlikely musical about Alexander Hamilton and the founding fathers,
so special has been the question posed by many journalists. The critics brought the good reviews and the audience showed the love, so much in fact, that the play received a Grammy Award and 11 Tony Awards, and Miranda won a Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History and the George Washington Book Prize. He also received a “genius grant” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The strong accolades have opened the door to other productions, including an open-ended run of “Hamilton” in Chicago this fall with a separate national tour set for 2017.
Critics are asking a new set of questions, such as “Will the hit musical be able to generate the same excitement without the original cast?” Let my colleagues ponder. I know that the answer is yes, and one key factor is that the cast looks like America today. That was “certainly intentional,” and Miranda has said as much in many interviews.
It’s that same cultural mix that will continue making every single production, anywhere in the world, a must-see. Plus the fact it’s been permanently sealed into our zeitgeist; not an easy feat even by the most skilled creatives in the field.
Not many Broadway shows have performed at the White House, but the cast of “Hamilton” has done so on more than one occasion, and both President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have called “Hamilton” the “best piece of art in any form. …” Now, you throw in the power of hip-hop and the answer to why “Hamilton” and the new cast is still exceptional theater and will continue to be exceptional theater is a no-brainer.
Alas, we are talking about a story of immigrants, created by the son of an immigrant, in a time in America when patriotism is being questioned over and over again. One of the very best lines from the award-winning show, that brings the house,down is, “Immigrants/we get the job done.” Indeed, we do.
Stepping again to the equality issue, I will pull a line from the play on equality of women, culled from a letter Angelica sent to Eliza: “I’ve been reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine … And when I meet Thomas Jefferson … I’m ‘a compel him to include women in the sequel!”
In summary, the backbone of any successful community is always balanced by the women. It’s the same with the women of “Hamilton.” They make this musical swing. A special nod to Alysha Deslorieux (standby, understudy for Angelica Schuyler, Eliza Hamilton and Peggy/Maria), Karla Garcia, Sasha Hollinger, Sasha Hutchings, Elizabeth Judd and Kamille Upshaw, who all dazzle with every move and are part of the building blocks that have made “Hamilton” a phenomenon.