Back in spring 2020, the hysteria over “Hamilton” remained at a fever pitch, even as Broadway went dark due to the raging pandemic.
By then, the hip-hop musical about America’s lesser-known Founding Father had been on stage for almost five years, redefining musical theater with its diverse cast and contemporary score, and sparking a fervent fandom unlike anything on Broadway in decades. Even during the shutdown, “Hamilton” remained relevant, as Disney+ released a much-anticipated live stage recording featuring the show’s original cast, led by creator Lin-Manuel Miranda in the title role.
But the pandemic persevered, and as the months turned to years, the momentum was impossible to maintain. Miranda had other irons in the fire — including the film adaption of his first big musical “In the Heights,” and his work on the animated Disney hit “Encanto” — and the reopening of “Hamilton” in late 2021 stalled again when a spike in cases forced more cancellations.
Now, fingers crossed, live theater is back, not only in New York City but around the world, as “Hamilton” resumes its Broadway run, alongside residencies in London and Australia and multiple simultaneous North American tours.
A new Broadway staple
The “Angelica tour” (as opposed to the “Philip tour” currently playing in Connecticut or the “And Peggy tour” now criss-crossing Canada) landed at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans this week, settling in for an extended run with shows through July 10.
While the post-pandemic productions might lack the lightning-in-a-bottle buzz that launched Hamilton into the cultural consciousness years ago, the touring show still offers a well-oiled machine of blockbuster proportions, as “Hamilton” evolves from Broadway’s latest craze to its newest staple, complementing a slate of long-running hits like “The Lion King” and “Wicked.”
The first act of “Hamilton” is dominated by the American Revolution, as Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the Caribbean who is newly arrived in New York, seeks fame, fortune and glory in his fight for America’s independence from the tyranny of the British Crown.
Along the way, Hamilton falls in with a group of revolution-minded friends, makes the acquaintance of the wealthy Schuyler sisters, first encounters lifelong rival Aaron Burr and serves at the right hand of Gen. George Washington.
It’s a highly charged, dynamic piece of theater, punctuated by the bombast of songs like “My Shot” and “Right Hand Man,” tunes influenced equally by Broadway musical tradition and classic New York hip-hop.
Challenging roles
On Wednesday night, the role of Alexander Hamilton was played by Deejay Young, an understudy on the tour who, in just the last few weeks, has also stepped in to play Aaron Burr in Greenville, South Carolina, and the dual roles of Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Durham, North Carolina. It’s difficult to imagine the challenge of taking on these roles on short notice, especially since Miranda’s “Hamilton” clocks in at over 20,000 words (compared with classic shows like “Oklahoma!” or “Pirates of Penzance” that average around 5,000 words), often delivered in fast-paced raps.
Young filled in admirably, fitting right into the action. The touring production relies on the same direction and choreography as the original (by Thomas Kail and Andy Blankenbuehler respectively), and the same set design (David Korins) that gracefully incorporates a turntable stage to imbue the production with a sense of constant motion.
While all of the pieces were in place, what Wednesday night’s production lacked were the fierce portrayals of the original cast, captured in the Disney film as the show’s definitive version. As Young went toe-to-toe with Aaron Burr (Josh Tower) and George Washington (Paul Oakley Stovall), the emphatic exchanges swirled in the frenetic energy of the production but often failed to really explode and rise to the level of standout showmanship.
But this bug becomes a feature as Young’s more nuanced, less raucous performance amplified the hurt and heartbreak of the show’s second act, which reveals the disintegration of Hamilton’s home life.
Substance and polish
I had previously considered the second act of “Hamilton” to be a sometimes trudging follow-up to the fast-paced heroics of the first, but this production revealed more emotion on the back end, due to heartfelt performances like “Dear Theodosia,” Burr and Hamilton’s ode to fatherhood, and “Burn,” in which Hamilton’s wife, Eliza Schuyler (played beautifully by Zoe Jensen), faces the fallout of her husband’s adultery.
The anguish culminates in one of the show’s most affecting numbers, “It’s Quiet Uptown,” a rumination on love and loss that segues into Hamilton’s eventual death-by-duel at the hands of Aaron Burr.
A strong supporting cast keeps “Hamilton” afloat through secondary, but no less essential, characters, played here with aplomb. The performers in the double roles of Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson (David Park), Hercules Mulligan/James Madison (Tyler Belo), and John Laurens/Phillip Hamilton (Jon Viktor Corpuz) provide a strong foundation for the production’s leading characters, as does Stephanie Umoh as Angelica Schulyer, whose early number “Satisfied” transcended the battle gore of the first act to deliver unexpected grace.
While “Hamilton” emerged from the pandemic years a little less shiny and new, the revolutionary musical still soldiers on as a tightly packed, multifaceted work that rewards audiences with both substance and polish.
As it continues what will surely be a long, long run on Broadway and on tour, it will be interesting to see the ways in which individual performances affect the show’s impact, whether for better or worse, since Miranda’s score requires a demanding skill set that can make or break a performance, but also offers performers — and audiences — the opportunity to find something new in the increasingly familiar.
Brad Rhines writes about theater. He can be reached at bradfordrhines@gmail.com.