‘Hamilton’ delights even the toughest audience

OUR busy entertainment reporter, Iza Iglesias, reviewed the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” in The Sunday Times Magazine on its first week and gave it a hearty endorsement. But some of you may be thinking, “These lifestyle section writers always have something nice to say, so is it honestly worth the equivalent of a month's rent for an evening out to see this show?”

If any of you read my regular column over in the Business section, you know I rarely have anything nice to say about anything, so you can take this to bank: “Hamilton” is a first-rate show, and the touring production now gracing the Theater at Solaire is, if anything, superior to what I've seen (on video) of the original 2021 Broadway ensemble.

The ‘Hamilton’ cast (from left) Darnell Abraham, Jason Arrow, Rachelle Ann Go, Akina Edmonds and DeAundre’ Woods PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

Allow me to explain my pre-show perspective to put my review in the proper context. I was intrigued and, of course, happy for the chance to see Hamilton live, but I was deeply skeptical. For one thing, I am not a great fan of the musical genre. I appreciate that it is an incredibly challenging genre to work with, and it is evidently difficult not to make the resulting show sound forced or repetitive. The film version of “Les Misérables” a few years ago is a good example.

Of course, even if it is a compelling, well-written story, the success or failure of the production hangs entirely on whether or not the actors can sing. “Les Misérables” is, again, an unfortunately very good example, and for that matter, so is the original production of “Hamilton,” where the title role was filled by none other than its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda is an astonishing talent whose ability to write this entire show is awe-inspiring. But he sings like I do, which sounds a lot like a cat being sanded. No one needs to hear that.

Then there is the “hype factor.” Time and again, I have found that big shows — whether plays or musicals, TV series, or movies — that the entire world is losing their damn minds over are deeply disappointing. The old saying, “There's no accounting for taste,” is absolutely true because, frankly, people in the world at large have a lot less of it than they think they do.

In fact, before our Saturday night date to see “Hamilton,” I remarked to my companion, “I hope this isn't going to be another 'Cats' episode.” Many (many, many) years ago, I had what I thought was a rare privilege to see the original Broadway production of the smash hit musical “Cats,” which was at the time driving everyone apoplectic with glee. What followed, however, was three hours of the most baffling, cringe-inducing, “what the hell are they doing?” experience I have ever had, before or since.

Finally, there is “Hamilton's” source material, which is, of course, the life of one of America's most profoundly important but not particularly well-understood Founding Fathers. The larger part of my education and intellectual passion is American History, so I can recite the life story of Alexander Hamilton in excruciating detail, standing on one leg. No one wants to hear that, of course, because I am a giant insufferable nerd. Still, the point is, if anyone is going to take on that story, they had better know what they're talking about — making acceptable allowances for artistic interpretation, of course — if they want even one thumbs-up from me.

The production of “Hamilton” now gracing our shores not only gets two thumbs-up from me because I'd like to borrow three or four other thumbs and give them those, too.

Everything, from the story to the performances, the staging, and the music, is brilliantly flawless. Every member of the cast put on a performance the likes of which we rarely see here, but the particular standouts for me were Australian actor Jason Arrow in the title role; American theater stalwart Darnell Abraham as George Washington, who was probably my favorite; Australian Brent Hill as King George 3rd, who was the crowd's favorite; Louisiana native Deaundre' Woods as Hamilton's friend-turned-archrival Aaron Burr; and the Philippines' own Rachelle Ann Go as Elizabeth (Eliza) Schuyler Hamilton, who in real-life history became a prominent figure in her own right.

Ms. Go deserves special recognition, if only because her own story should be an inspiration to any young people with dreams of artistic glory. As I understand it, she got her foot in the door at a young age as a bubble-gum pop ballad singer, but instead of settling for the typical (for the Philippines) career path of phoning in forgettable covers of worn-out tunes and collecting product endorsements (as I write this, Anne Curtis watches over my shoulder from a sticker on the side of my rice cooker on the shelf behind me), Rachelle parleyed her opportunity into world-class expertise in a real craft.

And boy, does it show. That little woman — seriously, she is dwarfed by most of her castmates — can fill the entire room with her voice, and I feel bad for the theatergoers in London's West End, where she has been for the past few years, because they're now missing out, to the delightful benefit of us here. If her performance in “Hamilton” doesn't pull her out from under her undeserved reputation as Lea Salonga Junior and put her on her own pedestal in the pantheon of the Philippines' greatest artists, there is something seriously wrong with the world.

So there you have it. If you have the chance to see “Hamilton,” run, don't walk, to get to the Theater at Solaire, where it's playing two shows a day. Tickets are not cheap or easy to get, but do whatever you have to because they are many times worth the price and effort.