‘Hamilton’ by Lin-Manuel Miranda is the alpha dog of 21st century musicals, in the years since premiering off Broadway in 2015 it has become so iconic that the audience cheers and whoops at every known beat like they’re at a fan convention.
Even here in Australia where audience members know less about the American Revolution, the crowd went wild when a Thomas Jefferson or a King George III strutted out on stage.
Being that well-known and regarded brings its own challenges and so it must be noted that this production captures what has made this show so special for audiences around the world. The uninitiated may wonder, what if I don’t care about the American revolution? What if hip hop isn’t my jam?
The magic of ‘Hamilton’ is not in its specifics but in its universality, this is not a story about a war hero or the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States of America. It is about a young man giving way to an old man, about finding the balance between building a life and living it.
Image © Daniel Boud
The costuming and lighting design is first rate yet the spectacle is not about production values but about what beats within. No giant chandeliers descend on to the stage, cannons and war are marked by red and white flashing lights. These were people living fairly simple lives, walking through nights lit by lanterns and wearing clothes stitched by hand. The hip hop music and modern sensibilities are to highlight these characters of history for what they were – vibrant and alive human beings brimming with passion and ambition. Despite all the shiny costumes impeccably tailored and the thunderous sound and music, often the focus is on one performer under one light as they sing their heart out. Sometimes the lights shine white hot to show that history’s eye is upon them.
While Hamilton is the titular character and clear star (Jason Arrow), this is an ensemble piece. Everyone gets to sing their song (or two, or three) and have their moment. How else have people come to wait in anticipation for King George (Brent Hill) to saunter on or Thomas Jefferson (Victory Ndukwe) to rail against Hamilton? The musical tells everyone’s perspective and moves with their plight – if you don’t cry when Martha Berhane sings her heart out as Alexander’s enduring wife Eliza, you have ice in your veins.
For an iconic show, the cast step into roles made famous by others effortlessly, commanding the stage during their numbers and playing well off each other. Brent Hill’s physicality brings something new to the role of King George and he exquisitely milks every second he is on stage. Jason Arrow as Alexander Hamilton and Callan Purcell as Aaron Burr inhabit their characters and the relationship that defined them. As Hamilton strives for greatness at all costs, Burr waits patiently until it’s too late – two people’s fates defined by who they are.
Image © Daniel Boud
The musical is about the founding fathers, yes, but also how they were literal fathers and in particular, some orphaned sons. How in carving out a place for themselves in the world they changed it, but what does that cost everyone around you? The tension of pursuing greatness and ensuring family is at the heart of many a life’s journey, if you wish to know where your legacy will lie, maybe take note – it was Eliza Hamilton who worked to ensure Alexander had one. Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?
That is what the musical ‘Hamilton’ is about, and that is why it is one of the greatest of this time, and all time. How’s that for a legacy?
‘Hamilton’ is now playing at Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
