By Kathryn Olsen
As more and more theaters are opening in Salt Lake City, crowds are eagerly returning for old favorites and new experiences and Broadway at the Eccles’ Hamilton at the Eccles Theater provides both. Based on the Ron Chernow biography of America’s first Secretary of the Treasury, Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning musical has a foothold both on Broadway and other continents as well as touring companies. It has been years since a friend talked me into listening to historically-accurate rapping, but I had never seen it in person and was ecstatically eager to see what it was like in person.
As the show opens, the friends and family of the titular Alexander Hamilton (Julius Thomas III) introduce an orphan from the Caribbean who suffers much loss from childhood onward, but promises the audience that they will become acquainted with the “ten-dollar founding father without a father.” The remainder of the musical sees this underdog serve in the Revolutionary War under George Washington (Darnell Abraham), participate in the Constitutional Convention, co-author the Federalist Papers, and serve in Washington’s Cabinet. If this is not enough, it recounts his love story with his wife Eliza (Victoria Ann Scovens), his feud with Thomas Jefferson (Paris Nix), and his political influence even after he leaves office. At its center is Aaron Burr (Deaundre’ Woods), who narrates the epic tale and documents the sometimes-tragic friendship between himself and Alexander.
Listed in the program as a standby, Woods was announced on the night of this performance as performing Aaron Burr. Woods plays him with a riveting mix of intensity and purpose, admitting to his fatal role in the story in the opening number, but also playing an amusing foil for the young Hamilton. His performance of “The Room Where it Happens” is unforgettable as he boils a governmental stalemate down to several amusing hypotheticals because history has no record of how the issues were resolved. On the other hand, his resentment and vengeance turn to remorse towards the end and he portrays this as a man who has seen that decision shape the remainder of his life.
Thomas’ role demands the greatest energy and drive, as he has a couple of hours to become the statesman of historical note and half of that time is spent as Washington’s secretary. He is a chameleon who is a flirtatious youngster, a committed soldier, a doting father, and a loyal friend. Hamilton chooses to speak some of the sung lines, turning some of his memorable moments into more intimate experiences onstage. He is as captivating during his failures as when he is making remarkable contributions to America’s early history.
Abraham always has a sense of gravitas, but this actor has a beautiful bass range for his spoken word that makes his a stand-out performance resemble a teacher among students who need personal attention. His brutal honesty during the war as well as during his presidential service make each of his scenes a resonant lesson for the characters as well as the audience.
Nix is the most memorable of the actors who play dual roles, taking the stage in Act I as the audacious and charismatic Marquis de Lafayette and portraying a Thomas Jefferson who hates letting someone else have the last word. Nix portrays both ally and antagonist with equal verve and his ability to rap some of the hardest passages in the show in a French accent is a highlight of Act I.
Hercules Mulligan/James Madison (Brandon Louis Armstrong) fills a similar role as another of Hamilton’s Revolutionary friends and his political opponent. Armstrong’s greatest asset in both roles is his fearlessness, but the moments in which he is more persuasive and cunning are enjoyable to watch.
Andy Tofa hits the most emotionally taxing moments of the show as both John Laurens and Philip Hamilton. Unstoppably confident and fearlessly loyal as Laurens, it is his death in battle after the end of the Revolution that spurs Hamilton into the frenzy of activity represented in the song “Non-Stop.” In Act 2, he plays Alexander’s firstborn, whose death in a duel deeply affects both of his parents. Tofa plays both roles with a do-or-die bravery that is tragically true of both characters.
King George III (Rick Negron) is ostensibly the villain of the piece. After all, he is the tyrant against whom the American Revolution was waged and he is perfectly aware of this. Miranda composed several break-up ballads for him and he earns loud applause from the audience for such pronouncements as “I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love” and “When your people say they hate you, don’t come crawling back to me.” Negron’s King George is a prancing, comical figure who fails to quash the rebellion, but delights in seeing things fall to pieces and he is an audience favorite who even conducts the theater-goers when calling for everyone to join in his chorus.
As crucial as Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan are as an ensemble, the Schuyler Sisters are the unstoppable force of female power that the show needs. Angelica (Marja Harmon) has as much emotional range as Hamilton himself, fiercely dedicated to ensuring her sister’s happiness in “Satisfied,” but deeply empathetic in “Quiet Uptown.” From her introduction, Harmon seems to be destined for center stage, but she spends a great deal of the play being the indispensable support for others.
Scovens plays the more grounded Eliza, who is Hamilton’s refuge in the war and his beloved companion in the years that follow. While Eliza is challenging the men to consider feminist angles from the start, Scovens takes on a more lyrical vocal performance. Her stylings mimic the boldness of her sister when she sings of betrayal in “Burn,” but it is her sung monologue in “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” that evokes many powerful emotions from audiences. Harmon’s performance is one of gentleness, but her moments of assertiveness underline her role as the heroine of the story.
Finally, Peggy (Milika Cheree) is the tagalong youngest sister who exudes perkiness as a coping mechanism and Cheree exchanges her youthful eagerness for the sultry Maria Reynolds in Act 2. She has the briefest onstage time of the Schuyler Sisters, but her versatility makes it difficult to imagine that Peggy and Maria are played by the same person.
While the original production is now available for online viewing, the technical aspects of the production play a great part in making Hamilton a play best experienced in person. Director Thomas Kail is known for his work on both Hamilton and Miranda’s In the Heights and his expertise in managing the playwright’s works is evident in every aspect of the show, supplemented by the skilled work of Associate and Supervising Director Patrick Vassel and Resident Director Sheri Eden Barber. The Scenic Design by David Korins and Lighting Design by Howell Binkley turn a single set into everything from the streets of New York City to the battlefield at Yorktown. Nevin Steinberg‘s Sound Design further immerses the audience in the experience of the American Revolution.Meanwhile, the Costume Design by Paul Tazewell and Hair and Wig Design by Charles G. Lapointe are hisotically accurate, but also individualized for each character and the ensemble is able to take on the costumes of several factions with the addition of a military coat or a dress in neutral colors. Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler interweaves the modern texture of the music and the historical setting in wonderful ways so that a ballroom dance number is, on closer inspection, hip-hop dance concealed within the styles of 18th century dance traditions and the Battle of Yorktown fuses military strategy with high-energy footwork. It is brought together by Dance Supervisor Ryan Kasprzak to the orchestra managed by the team of Michael Keller, Michael Aarons, Matt Gallagher, and Lily Ling.
Audiences should bear in mind that the libretto does include profanity and sexual situations as well as choreographed violence.
Hamiton is a staple of 21st-centruy Broadway theater and is running until January 23, 2022. There are many reasons to introduce audiences from teenagers to adults to this play and there are many chances left to attend. Hurry to get tickets before it performs one last time and teaches us how to say goodbye.
Broadway at the Eccles presents Hamilton: An American Musical; By Lin-Manuel Miranda, Inspired by the Book Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.
The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, 131 S. Main Street, SLC, UT 84111
Dec 28, 2021 – Jan 23, 2022. Check site for dates and times as well as special dates for descriptive audio and ASL interpreted performances.
Tickets: $109-399 (Lottery drawings can be entered on the Hamilton app weekly.)
Contact: 385-468-1030, events@artsaltlake.org
www.ecclestheaterslc.com
Broadway at the Eccles Facebook Page
Hamilton Facebook Event
0 Comments