By Kimberly Rau
Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit musical “Hamilton” returns to the Providence Performing Arts Center this week, and, no surprise, it’s as good as ever and playing to packed houses (but there are still tickets available, so keep reading).
Though the musical is now nearly old enough to be learning about its own events in an elementary school history class, the cleverness of its storytelling is still as captivating as it was when it opened off-Broadway in 2015. Take a pivotal point in American history, tell it through the lens of one of the more controversial founding fathers, and do it while rapping and paying homage to a thousand modern cultural influences – it’s a recipe for success.
Maybe it’s been a minute since your own history class. Alexander Hamilton, the guy on your $10 bill with numerous accomplishments to his name (founder of the Coast Guard, helped start America’s banking system, Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolution), started from nothing and worked his way up to being one of the better-known founding fathers. His life was not without scandal and complication, and the main point of “Hamilton” focuses on the importance of legacy and who gets to ultimately tell your story. In this case, it’s Lin Manuel Miranda, himself a powerful writer who chose rap as a medium to tell Hamilton’s tale because rap music has the most words per measure versus other more conventional forms of musical theater. And Hamilton, he was a wordy guy.
It’s a concept that works really well, especially when you have Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography to move the songs along and David Korins’ gorgeous set as a backdrop. We’re still using Thomas Kail’s direction, so most of the show is going to look exactly the way you remember it. But one of the best things about seeing a tour nearly a decade after the Broadway opening is getting to watch actors explore character choices that don’t so closely mirror those of the original cast. Yes, the general characteristics are still present (we’re not going to get a meek Washington or a rude Eliza), but nuance is what makes a role, and this cast is exceptional.
So, rather than state this a hundred times: They’re all fantastically talented. Let’s face it, it would be odd if any of these tours cast someone truly dreadful, but if we ever get a tone-deaf Hamilton or a Lafayette/Jefferson who can’t dance a step, I’ll be sure and write about it. That day is not today.
Tyler Fauntleroy is the confident, prideful-to-a-fault Alexander Hamilton. Fauntleroy is not afraid to show us the cracks in Hamilton’s humanity, though, which makes scenes like “Hurricane,” one of the best choreographed and lit numbers in the whole show, even more powerful. Lauren Mariasoosay is an edgier, more electric Eliza than those familiar with the Disney+ pro shot might be expecting, and it’s a wonderful decision on Mariasoosay’s part. By the end of “Burn,” Eliza’s song after she finds out about her husband’s philandering, the air is crackling with anger. Mariasoosay takes a number that risks bringing Act 2’s energy way down and shows us what it should be.
Marja Harmon is a particularly self-assured Angelica, Eliza’s older sister who historically remained a close friend and confidant of Hamilton throughout his life. Harmon, with a strong voice and stage presence, is just what the role needs. A.D. Weaver brings a breath of fresh air to the powerful George Washington, lending just enough levity to the role to give the audience a new look at the general, and Jimmie Jeter is a (somewhat) loosened up Aaron Burr, with an incredible voice to tell the story of the man who always came in second to Hamilton.
Many of the actors play dual roles in the show, including Jared Howelton, who delivers an impressive performance as Lafayette and, in Act 2, Thomas Jefferson. Lily Soto is both younger Schuyler sister Peggy and the temptress Maria Reynolds, giving her the opportunity to show off a wide range of acting and vocal talent.
Nathan Haydel gets two opportunities to break the audience’s heart as both Hamilton’s close friend John Laurens and then Hamilton’s oldest son Philip. And Brown University/Trinity Rep M.F.A graduate Kai Thomani Tshikosi returns to Providence with this tour as the indominable Hercules Mulligan and, later, the straight man to Jefferson’s flamboyance, James Madison. It’s a great set of roles, well-played by Tshikosi.
I’ve seen Hamilton live multiple times at this point, and reviewed it twice before. You start to ask yourself what else there can be to say about a show that hasn’t changed much since it opened in New York, and then you see a cast like this that makes everything feel fresh again. Whether you’ve never seen it before, or really enjoy the musical, the Angelica Tour of Hamilton is one you won’t want to miss.
“Hamilton” runs through Dec. 22, 2024, at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence. Tickets may be obtained at the box office, online at ppacri.org or by calling 401.421.2787
