Hype is a dangerous thing. It is especially dangerous when the hype is asking you to part with hundreds of dollars for a few hours of entertainment.
And so it was with just a little trepidation that we plunked down a potful of greenbacks to see the production of “Hamilton” while on a trip to Chicago, where one of two touring companies (the other currently in San Francisco) is performing the award-winning musical at the PrivateBank Theatre (formerly the Majestic, and before that the Shubert). And we can report that the hype is fully justified. This is one great musical.
A good musical starts with the music, and the music in “Hamilton” is terrific. Much of it is of the hip-hop/rap variety, but the show also contains more traditional genres. There are even a few ballads that come close to sounding operatic. But the rap is definitely dominant, and it is infectious, providing beats that make the high-energy choreography fit seamlessly even as much of the dancing could otherwise be distracting, taking place as it does around the various characters’ rapped monologues.
The lyrics are also fascinating. In writing them, Lin-Manuel Miranda (who also wrote the music and the book for the play) uses modern jargon. Thomas Jefferson, for example, at one point says “Whassup?” And Miranda doesn’t shy away from street-talk of the four letter variety either. But it is all presented in verse, and it is all appropriate to the mood of the play, which is both timely and timeless. Highlights include “My Shot,” “You’ll Be Back,” “Wait for It,” “Ten Duel Commandments,” “What’d I Miss,” “One Last Time,” “Burn,” and “The World Was Wide Enough.”
The production was directed by Thomas Kail with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler. Music supervision and orchestrations are credited to Alex LaCamoire. Colin Welford conducted the ten piece orchestra at the production we attended. The set design (by David Korins) was impressive and the costumes (by Paul Tazewell) seemed period-authentic. Lighting (Howell Binkley) and sound (Nevin Steinberg) were also excellent.
The story, of course, concerns the life of Alexander Hamilton, who was principally responsible for the drafting of the Federalist Papers and for the establishment of the U.S. Treasury (where he served as the first Secretary of the Treasury). Miranda drew the portrayal of Hamilton from the 2004 biography by Ron Chernow. (Mr. Chernow served as a technical consultant to the original Broadway production. His biography, however, is departed from in several significant details, most notably in the alleged basis for the duel between Burr and Hamilton that ends the play.)
The play is intended to have a multi-ethnic cast, and the Chicago production definitely does. Miguel Cervantes is a standout as Hamilton. Others performing on the night we attended were Ari Afsar as Hamilton’s wife, Eliza; Wayne Brady as Aaron Burr (the “bad guy” in the script); Aubin Wise as Angelica Schuyler (Eliza’s sister); Jonathan Kirkland as George Washington; Colby Lewis as Lafayette (in the first act) and Thomas Jefferson (in the second); Wallace Smith as Hercules Mulligan and James Madison; Jose Ramos as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton (the title character’s son); Samantha Marie Ware as Peggy Schuyler (Eliza’s other sister) and Maria Reynolds (who has a pivotal role in the second act); and Jin Ha as a hilarious King George.
Of those principal cast members, apart from Mr. Cervantes whom we could have mistaken for Mr. Miranda, both in stature and talent, had we not known better, we were most impressed with Ms. Wise and Mr. Ha (who are both listed as understudies) and Mr. Brady (whose Burr is really the second lead).
Mr. Kirkland seemed to grow into his role, becoming more powerful as the play moved to the second act. Mr. Lewis struck a heavy French accent as Lafayette in the first act and then hammed up his portrayal of Jefferson in the second. Ms. Afsar was less compelling in her portrayal as Hamilton’s wife, although she did beautifully deliver the moving scene that closes the play.
On that point (the end of the play), we felt our only regret. The story, as anyone with even a remote knowledge of Hamilton’s life knows, does not end happily. Still, we wished there could have been a more robust finale, perhaps as a post-script of some sort, and that the curtain call could have then highlighted all of the principals. (Instead, the entire cast joined for a unified bow.) But we did spot, on exiting the theater, a young man (perhaps 18 or 20) being hugged by an older woman (his mother?), as he cried his eyes out (presumably because he was so moved by the ending).
And so, suffice it to say that “Hamilton” works on many levels. It is powerful history told with high energy music that includes great singing and dancing and that can move one to tears. We loved it and hope to see it again during its San Francisco run, even if we have to pay a king’s fortune for a ticket.