8 June 2023 I 14:30 I Victoria Palace Theatre, London
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The musical sensation Hamilton has dominated the theatre scene since its original premiere on Broadway in 2015, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Controversially, I had never been a huge fan of the soundtrack, as it wasn't to my music taste. I'd also never streamed the pro-shot because I thought it'd be a show to experience live first-hand. I have been pleasantly surprised by the creativity and uniqueness of Hamilton, and personally, I don't believe the soundtrack does the stage presence justice. Initially, I hadn't understood the hype surrounding Hamilton, but it is now more than definitely clear!
Giving a star rating is very challenging between 4 and 5 stars, because I am immensely captivated by the overall experience of the show. The Victoria Palace Theatre is a beautiful venue that I adore, and sitting on the front row of the stalls, you really feel the full force and attack unlike anything else. The cast are very good at addressing the whole audience, in a way which is charming and inviting. Particularly Simon-Anthony Rhoden's performance as Aaron Burr, who enacts the role of a storyteller and helps to define eras and shifts in action, leaning in to divulge us individually in the peaks and troughs of his political opponent. And his big moment The Room Where It Happens is a central showstopper for me with a very slick style, not relying on the conventional ballad, in a way to highlight creeping tensions.
Equally with audience interaction, Joel Montague gives us a wonderfully amusing yet brief King George. We were very much in the golden seats, as King George looks at you dead in the eyes to tell you that "you're [his] favourite subject", forever a fabulous memory of this show. By far, Montague's character is the biggest fan-favourite of Hamilton, though the comical opportunity seems a bit misplaced, where it could have been nice to see beyond the funny. Or simply more scenes! The parody of the British monarchy is cleverly done, but antagonising him struggles to fully land for me.
The main reason I choose to give Hamilton 4 stars is due to the plot. With the central story following founding father Alexander Hamilton's turbulent and remarkable life, it is worth crediting Miranda and the creative team for highlighting his forgotten legacy in the American Revolution. However, having little prior knowledge regarding this era of history, I found myself lost in various moments, particularly political sequences in both acts. As it is largely sung through, scenes have the potential to be drowned out due to pacing, where beauty can be found in spoken word more effectively. Overall though, I appreciate the essence of vignettes of action to whirl through the story, varying in tone, and each scene very unique by their own.
Reuben Joseph is outstanding in the titular role, nailing the huge flashy numbers and finding the defencelessness that the history books can't visualize. Miranda's original portrayal of Alexander Hamilton leaves huge shoes to fill, yet Joseph really makes the role his own away from previous actors. With perfect enunciation through the lyrics, he is tremendous in highlighting the subtleties of emotion through song, particularly Hurricane.
The Schuyler Sisters are a favourite of mine, their dynamic working extremely well, certainly Angelica and Eliza's relationship (Allyson Ava-Brown and Shan Ako respectively). The parallels through Helpless and Satisfied are mind-blowing, a definite highlight of the show as we are taken through both the sister's perspectives of a night that changed everything. Waylon Jacobs is simply a star, I adore every second of his Lafayette/Jefferson track, as the energy and attention to character is absolutely splendid. The charisma to last a lifetime! Jacobs maintains a cheekiness across both roles, really ignited a feeling of wanting to stand up and join in the dancing, infectious joy!
Andy Blankenbuehler and the choreography team design an absolute spectacle, incredibly impressive to mirror many different tones across the show. Sometimes, I would suggest there was a lot going on across the stage at once with dancing and other action, challenging to know where your attention should go. Though this is something I can imagine I would see very differently a second time round, taking it all in once more. Paul Tazewell's costume design is stunning to see develop, periodically accurate clothing fused with contemporary influence. The elegance of the sharp colours to me is indicative of traits such as wealth and desire (the red of Maria Reynolds' dress), left to my personal interpretation which I always love.
These are just some of the highlights I find from this, although many other elements and talented individuals work well together to produce this wonderful modern performance. Perhaps if I were to see it again, to understand the plot further and reabsorb scenes, it may enhance my love of the show even more. Hamilton hugely surprised me, and I would encourage anyone interested to catch it live for the full experience, especially now it embarks on a UK tour... get your tickets!!
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