By JESSICA NEU
This past Tuesday evening, the first 2024 presidential debate aligned serendipitously with the opening of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acclaimed musical Hamilton as the Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway series kicks off its 2024-2025 season. While Trump and Harris dodged questions, and their petulance may have done little to ease voter’s concerns, Hamilton reminds us that America was, in fact, founded on the notion of bipartisanship, debate, and peaceful transfers of power. Although this is the third time Pittsburgh has welcomed the touring cast of Hamilton in recent years, the production remains profoundly authentic. The cast, directed by Thomas Kail, makes the show feel fresh and energetic, and it is still very important.
Portraying the nation’s first Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, Tyler Fauntleroy leads us on a journey from his time as a verbose student at King’s College through his time in the military during the American Revolution as George Washington’s “right hand man,” and then ultimately through his personal and political strife as he is consumed by hubris. Fauntleroy’s Hamilton is near perfection. He adds his own modulations and inflections throughout the show to make the character his while still conveying the verbose grit originally brought to life by Miranda.
Hamilton’s friends, confidants, and fellow soldiers, including Marquis de Lafayette (Jared Howelton), Hercules Mulligan (Kai Thomani Tshikosi), and John Laurens (Nathan Haydel), deliver performances that are hilarious at times yet chillingly stoic at others. As these actors changed roles for Act 2 (Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Philip Hamilton, respectively), it was difficult to determine hard to determine which character each actor portrayed more effervescently. Howelton, in particular, delivered arguably the best Thomas Jefferson I have seen to date. His mannerisms, timing, and diction were simply sublime as I found myself laughing at points other productions had glazed over.
Also helping to bring the show to life is an indelible cast, including Lauren Mariasoosay as Hamilton’s wife, Eliza Schuyler-Hamilton, her older sister Angelica Schuyler (Marja Harmon), “and Peggy” (Lily Soto). All three ladies commanded the stage with poise, raw emotion, love, and feministic power that absolutely deserves to be “written into the sequel” (“Work!“). Their effortless harmonies evoke a sense of sisterly love and a bond that undoubtedly exists on and off the stage. Mariasoosay shines as she sits in Eliza’s pain and turmoil but inevitably pushes off of her agony to reach a point of forgiveness.
Hamilton’s friend turned nemesis Aaron Burr (Jimmie “JJ” Jeter) remains a stark reminder in recognizing that there is always room in the world for others, even if you disagree with them. Jeter’s Burr is marked with eloquent subtleties and nuance but also outpourings of emotion during numbers such as “Wait For It.” Jeter’s quiet yet commanding presence throughout the show perfectly juxtaposes Fauntleroy’s loquacious Hamilton.
Something that makes Hamilton unique is that every time you see the show, a particular theme scene or song will affect you differently than before. The first time I saw the show in 2017, I was deeply moved by “It’s Quiet Uptown.” However, last night I wiped away a single tear at the end of George Washington’s (A.D. Weaver) number, “One Last Time“. Weaver’s delivery of a song about admitting your successes and flaws as President and knowing when to step aside with grace was a breathtakingly cathartic representation of theater imitating life.
Regardless of whether or not you have seen Hamilton before, numbers such as “My Shot,” “Right Hand Man,” “Yorktown,” and “The Room Where It Happens” still reverberate like the “click boom” of the canon shot during Revolutionary war battles. Andy Blankenbuehler‘s brilliant choreography utilizes tiered set pieces and turn tables (set design by David Korins) to add dimension, suspense, and intensity to each scene. The choreography is so intricate that each time you see the show, you notice a new character, movement, or detail. Hamilton is a challenging show in that it demands a lot from its audience. There is no proverbial downbeat. For three hours, you are pushed in the best way possible to focus on a re-telling of America’s history at an average of 144 words per minute while watching intricate choreography and scenic movement. You are asked to consider the motivations and ethics of each character. You are challenged to reconsider your perception of democracy, equality, justice, and forgiveness with your response to each theme ever-evolving as the years pass.
Hamilton remains a must-see show, and this tremendous cast brings new life to the stories of the Founding Fathers. History still has its eyes on us, and we should have our eyes on this profound piece of theater.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
The PNC Cultrural Trusts’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh presentation of Hamilton is at the Benedum Center through September 29th, 2024 For tickets visit: https://trustarts.org/production/94984/hamilton
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Reviews
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