Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator and star of Hamilton, says one of the key influences on what has turned out to be the most influential Broadway show of the 21st century is the 1980s blockbuster musical Les Misérables.
Watching Hamilton again last night at the Richard Rodgers Theatre during the last week that Miranda (Alexander Hamilton), Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr), and Phillipa Soo (Eliza Hamilton) are in the show reminded me of the tagline on posters for Les Miz that I used to see as a kid taking the London Underground to school: “Fight to get a ticket!”
Tickets for the last week of performances before Lin-Manuel is replaced by his alternate Javier Muñoz are going for five-figure sums following its Tony, Pulitzer, and Grammy award glory and the unprecedented hype generated by a theater show.
They are worth every cent to witness such an inventive look at the “ten-dollar founding father.”
As the principal cast move onto pastures new, they could be forgiven for ever so slightly running out of steam especially having performed a physically exacting, musically demanding show for a year on Broadway and before that at the Public Theater where it all began.
Not a bit of it. There was no sense of “last week-itis” at all during the performance I saw. To paraphrase Hamilton’s sister-in-law Angelica Schuyler (Renée Elise Goldsberry) in the show, the revolution was even more of a revelation second time around.
A year ago today. pic.twitter.com/I4NaiSMdlL
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) July 2, 2016
Lin-Manuel was a less exuberant and more soulful Hamilton than when I saw him last year. Hamilton himself may never have gotten to be president, but Miranda seems to have grown in office.
Phillipa Soo’s measured grace as Eliza acts as a superb counterpoint to the bustling military and political intrigue around her. This time she seemed to shed tears after the death in the show of her son Philip.
Daveed Diggs, who usually plays the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, was replaced by Andrew Chappelle. Diggs was sorely missed as General Lafayette and the rap battles were less frenetic with Chappelle in the role, but the fact that his Jefferson was more wise owl and less rock star offered a fresh twist on the part.
Much is made of Hamilton re-telling the formation of America through the lens of a mainly non-white cast and its relevance to the current discussions on immigration. But actually I think the Hamilton phenomenon is primarily due to the fact that the songs, book, and choreography are a cut above any other musical in the 21st century.
Miranda’s lyrical prescience stands out. The show takes on a whole new meaning with Donald Trump’s transition from punchline to presumptive Republican nominee, while King George III’s comedic laments mirror the present uncertain political climate in his homeland over the landmark Brexit referendum vote.
The range of songs — from the champagne showstopper The Room Where It Happens to My Shot which distills the essence of the musical — is unlikely to bettered for some time on Broadway.
Then there’s Tommy Kail’s direction, which is dynamic. Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography is groundbreaking, perhaps the most innovative aspect of the show. Hip-hop movement occurs during the whole of Hamilton, and yet it remains unpredictable throughout, serving up a literal running commentary on events.
These factors contribute to the fact that Hamilton does not merely possess a conventional sense as most musicals do. It possesses a unique spirit speaking to the past and present.
Unlike your typical revolution, the cast changes should not result in any discontinuity. But if you’re anywhere near Times Square in the next few days, don’t just fight for a ticket to catch the show’s outgoing leads.
Do more than that. Yes, I seem to be advocating physical violence to see Hamilton with the original Founding Fathers this week. By any means necessary…
One more week.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) July 3, 2016
