Hamilton
Hamilton – I mean it’s Hamilton
★★★★★ Feb 11 ’23
Hamilton is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today.
Hamilton, unlike most musicals nowadays is sung all the way through with little to no dialogue much like Les Miserables. It fuses rap, classic Broadway songs, jazz R&B and blues, it creates a really diverse musical score and there is something for everyone. Some of my favourite songs in the show are ‘You’ll Be Back’ sung by King George, a fun classic Broadway tune. ‘My shot’, which is about taking the one chance you have in life to make something of yourself in the wider world and then finally the two songs in the winter ball sequence with Eliza and Angelica. These songs are ‘Helpless’ and ‘Satisfied’ about the moments they met Alexander Hamilton, I enjoyed this scene as after the song from Eliza it goes back in time to see it from Angelica’s point of view.
I went to go and see Hamilton for my 12th birthday, it is an incredible theatre going experience with a combination of American history and music. We were fortunate enough to sit in a stalls box which is at the back of the stalls with a bit of a raise, so that you could see over the others in front of you. There was a bit of a restricted view as you couldn’t see the top part of the stage due to the overhang from the grand circle. There was butler service where somebody from front of house brought us some drinks and ice-cream in the interval. It was a really cool place to sit making it even more special.
In this show the standout performances were Hamilton, Eliza and King George. Hamilton leads the show and Reuben Joseph gives an excellent performance throughout. Shan Ako who plays Eliza has one of the the most emotional songs in the show called ‘Burn’ where she burns the letters from Hamilton, she delivers this song with such emotion and beautiful vocals. King George – what can I say – he’s hilarious and his songs are filled with fun moments. Whilst he only has a small role, he uses every second onstage for another laugh, even making one of the other cast members laugh during the show.
In Act 2 we meet Alexander Hamilton’s child Phillip and this was one of my least favourite parts. The role of Phillip who is supposed to be a 9 year old child in this moment, is played by an adult, whilst I can see reasons why they got an adult to play the role, such as it being a very small part being only about 4 minutes of an almost 3 hour show and the cost of hiring a number of child actors, chaperones, licensing, rehearsals etc. However having a child in it could be more powerful, bringing a more emotional connection to the audience. Whilst the tall adult actor brought a smattering of laughs – but this moment was not written as a funny scene, it seemed it was written as a more serious scene which meant the laughs were aimed at the fact that an adult was playing a child. Initially i was a bit confused and it would have been self explanatory if there was a child playing the role rapping along with their mother bringing another element. Having child actors could bring a younger audience it would give children a chance to get a small role in a west end production opening more opportunities to the limited amount in the West End.
After the show we went to the stage door which was a fun experience and a lot more organised than other stage doors I have stood outside of, as it meant everyone got a turn to speak to the members of the cast, get an autograph and a photo opportunity with them.
This show and the theatre going experience was so magical and fun and the sheer talent of the cast and substance of the show which while had some spectacle was not drowned out by it deserves 5 stars. Plus it was written by Lin Manuel Miranda!
– The Theatre Cricket