There are a handful of things that sets Broadway Across Canada’s Hamilton apart from other musicals. The entire production, from start to finish is told through song. Every musical number develops the story and there is no dialogue between songs. The choreography is also a huge part of the production, with every artist on stage singing and dancing. The talent on stage is immense and every voice is beautiful. Hamilton is an epic artistic and musical production, but it runs a little long and the lack of emotional connection to Hamilton as the protagonist has the performance lose a little bit of poignancy. But Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music and lyrics are epic and ultimately Hamilton is a musical masterpiece.
The production tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, from the point of view of those around him. In two acts, the performance details his politics and his personal life, including his marriage, his affair and the tragedy that befalls him during his life. It ends with his senseless death.
Hamilton is not historically accurate and is inspired by the book Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. It is acknowledged that the real Hamilton was a white man, as was Aaron Burr and George Washington, but it is a conscious choice to have this story be told by Black artists. It makes Hamilton a production for contemporary audiences and turns everything on its head. Alexander Hamilton was an orphan and an immigrant and this is illustrated throughout the performance.
Broadway Across Canada has cast some outstanding artists for this production, and this is what puts the performance over the top. Julius Thomas III plays Hamilton and is solid and charming, but the powerful, jaw dropping performances belong to Donald Webber Jr. as Aaron Burr and Darnell Abraham as George Washington. Burr is nuanced and complicated as a character and Webber Jr. brings nuance to his portrayal. His movement is captivating and he blurs Burr’s lines between enemy and friend perfectly. Abraham has an epic solo as George Washington and his voice is powerful. Victoria Ann Scovens shines as Eliza, especially in her musical number Burn, where her vocal talent is on display.
It all unfolds on a set designed by David Korins that features a rotating stage that the cast uses very well throughout the production, mostly designed in wood and a brick wall backdrop, that is simple but elegant. Lighting design by Howell Binkley and sound design by Nevin Steinberg both work in tandem to highlight key parts of the production. The choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler is itself a dynamic character in the production, with direction by Thomas Kail ensured the action unfolds at a measured pace. Paul Tazewell’s costume design adds great flair to the production with the women in colourful dresses and strategic velvet coats.
The performance is rich with musical production that is catchy and memorable and characters that are unique and funny. Rick Negron’s King George is a riot and Paris Nix’s Jefferson is truly arrogant as he struts around in velvet and raps with attitude.
Hamilton has solo numbers that are awe inspiring and music that brims with rhythm and power. But engaging with complicated content about one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, purely through musical numbers can be a little much and a little hard to follow, especially if you’re not sitting close to the stage. Add in the fact that this production is all choreography and music, with no projection design or moving set and Hamilton relies on its lyrics and the power of its voices to grab the audience. It is immensely successful in doing this, but audiences need to be plugged in and fully engaged for the entire production, or you’ll miss a development in the lyrics. Because the story of Hamilton is being told to us by the secondary characters, we miss the emotional connection to Hamilton, even though he’s on stage the whole time. That lack of connection takes away from the power of the narrative. We find ourselves missing his emotional narrative and arc. Even though this is part of the point of the production, others are telling his story, not feeling that connection directly to the protagonist takes away from the poignancy of the performance.
Broadway Across Canada’s Hamilton runs at the Southern Jubilee Auditorium until July 31st. Tickets are available online.
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus