When “Hamilton” hit Broadway in 2015, it was hard to imagine the future size of the cultural juggernaut that we had on our hands.
Now, almost 10 years later, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical retelling of the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton is still going strong, if the turn out for a Wednesday night show at the Fox Theatre is anything to go by. During the production, you could hear some members of the audience lightly singing along, or see them bouncing around in their seats to the beat of the music. People still love this musical, and a lot of them know it by heart – even if they haven’t seen it live before.
If you’re like me (a recovering theater kid), the familiarity with the music of “Hamilton” started as soon as the cast album dropped. But for most people, that moment probably came when a pro-shot version of the original Broadway production debuted on Disney+ in 2020. The film was a huge streaming success, and helped cement the performances of its actors in stone. From Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, to Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, to Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson – the performances from the original cast of “Hamilton” are ingrained in people’s minds like perhaps no other modern musical.
And so, the cast of the touring production visiting the Fox through Feb. 25 has a difficult task ahead of them when it comes to making those characters their own. Lucky for audiences, this cast is well up for the job – even when they have to fight through some sound issues to get there.
Each performer on stage took care to differentiate themselves from the performances we know and love, turning in great character work in the process. As King George, Neil Haskell makes a joke of pomp and circumstance, pitching his voice high in his nasal cavity and turning the king into a simpering, petulant child. During “Burn,” in which Hamilton’s wife Eliza laments his infidelity, Nikisha Williams turns in one of the more searing renditions I’ve ever heard, a current of rage underscoring her sadness and pain. And as Angelica Schuyler, Lencia Kebede brought down the house during “Satisfied,” the eldest Schuyler sister’s number about her feelings for Hamilton. Kebede’s voice is smooth and effortless, and her vocal ad libs at the end seem to soar.
As Aaron Burr, Hamilton’s friend-turned-rival, Deon’te Goodman has perhaps the most difficult job. Burr is arguably the best and most complex role in the show – a friend to Hamilton at times, yet simmering with jealousy that eventually burns hot enough to drive him to murder. On Broadway, Leslie Odom Jr. plays the role almost like a snake, hard to grasp and playing to his ambitions with a wink and a smile. Goodman takes a different, but equally effective approach, playing up Burr’s repressed anger that lingers just under the surface. During “Wait For It,” in which he lets the audience in on his strategy for success, he’s completely still for the majority of the number. When the last chorus hits, he finally starts to let some of that fury make itself apparent in his physicality, like it’s bursting at the seams to get out. As the song winds down, he’s practically buzzing with the effort of pulling himself back to that restrained calm.
Of course, no “Hamilton” cast is complete without the ensemble, a collection of talented performers who are all almost always on stage. This group in particular had voices that blended beautifully together, their harmonies on songs like “Yorktown” and “The Room Where it Happened” precise and impressive. However, sometimes harmonies and solos alike were a bit stunted by recurring sound issues. Sound has been a sticking point the past few times I’ve seen something at the Fox, with mics dropping out, or singers suddenly sounding quite muffled. Things happen, and sound can be a tricky monster to deal with. But I hope for future audiences, the problems are fixed and they can enjoy this cast in all their glory.
Tickets to “Hamilton” can be purchased online.
