Hamilton: My Trip to the Musical Sensation Katie kirkpatrick
In March 2016, I stumbled across a hip hop musical about America’s founding fathers. Though hotlytipped to become a big success, it was still largely unknown… especially in rural England. Within one listen to the soundtrack, however, I was completely sold. Over the following months, Hamilton became a smash hit and I grew to love the show more and more, accumulating quite a collection of t-shirts, books and obscure pieces of trivia. Actually seeing the show, however, always seemed like something well out of my reach: it was only on Broadway, and even if I managed to afford plane tickets there’s no way I would have been able to afford the American ticket prices. You can imagine, then, my joy when it was announced that the show would open on the West End. After almost two years of excitement, I found myself sat in the theatre about to see the show that I loved so dearly. Having rushed from school to my house to the train station to King’s Cross to the underground to McDonald’s to the theatre, it still felt surreal. <strong>The</strong> entire week leading up to the trip, I didn’t feel anticipation, as such: I genuinely couldn’t believe I was going to see it. This all lead up to a moment of wonder. When I first saw the set, it sank in. I felt a kind of electricity that was new. From the moment the first cast member entered, I was just in awe. <strong>The</strong> first song, which is probably the least emotional in the show, had me pretty much crying just at the fact that I was finally there. But enough about me being an emotional wreck: onto what I actually thought of the production… You’d think that hearing songs you’ve listened to at least a hundred times can’t be that great. Live theatre, however, has the power to make one appreciate songs in a brand new way. I picked up on harmonies I’d never noticed before and was able to appreciate the original riffs the London cast added in. What you can’t get from the soundtrack at all, however, is the genius of the staging. <strong>The</strong> direction and choreography of this production had me deep in thought the entire time, concentrating to spot all of the hidden symbolism and subtle references. <strong>The</strong> highly complicated movement aspect of the show was executed flawlessly. This London cast had a lot to live it up to. <strong>The</strong> Broadway production starred the show’s writer Lin- Manuel Miranda in the eponymous role, as well as a cast of upcoming performers, many of whom have since gone on to have leading roles in other musicals or work on successful TV programmes. Luckily, London met everyone’s high expectations and more. I saw alternate Ash Hunter as Hamilton: while I was a little unsure at the very start of the show, his performance only got better, and he managed to encompass all of the character’s emotional extremes - he was equally convincing as a cocky young writer as he was as a heartbroken father. My only criticism would be that there were a couple of moments where he was lacking energy near the beginning: I would have liked to see a little more desperation and chaos from him. Rachelle Ann Go as Eliza was a powerhouse, and Rachel John was an exemplary Angelica, with her beautifully nuanced voice. Christine Allado did a brilliant job of portraying the contrasting double role of Peggy/Maria and had a warm jazz voice that was lovely to listen to. Obioma Ugoala as Washington was intimidating in the perfect way and the performance of Tarinn Callender as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison was in many ways identical to that of original cast member Okieriete Onaodowan (which was a good thing!). I met Cleve September (who plays John Laurens/ Philip Hamilton) last summer for an amazing dance workshop and it was really exciting to see him on stage. His characters’ scenes are some of the most emotional in the show and every moment he performed tugged at the audience’s heartstrings. Giles Terera as Aaron Burr is possibly the best actor I’ve ever seen perform: sure, his singing may not have matched original Burr Leslie Odom Jr but every word he said - or didn’t say - had a meaning, a reason. He was utterly believable. Much of the comic relief came from Michael Jibson as King George III; George must be a hugely fun role to play, and Jibson made the most of it. <strong>The</strong> unexpected stand-out performance for me, however, was Jason Pennycooke as Lafayette/ Thomas Jefferson. He had endless energy and threw everything he had at every moment he was on stage. Many a time I found myself distracted from the main action to watch him do something hilarious in a corner of the stage - he’s definitely a performer who will go on to do great things. Hamilton as a musical is, in my opinion, revolutionary. <strong>The</strong> Broadway production has changed the landscape of theatre and Lin-Manuel Miranda is undoubtedly the writing talent of a generation. I’m so glad the London production is bringing this unique show to a British audience: I know there were worries that a story of American history wouldn’t translate well to the capital of England, but the wild ticket sales and excitable audiences have proven otherwise. Obviously it’s incredibly difficult to get tickets, but if you manage to I could not recommend this show more - even if you can’t see it live, listen to the soundtrack. You might find a new favourite album. Hopefully Hamilton West End can continue to run for many years to come and inspire a new age of musical theatre...let’s hope the next generation of theatre writers don’t throw away their shot!