Hamilton Aging Beautifully in Chicago

“He’s a genius” kept passing peoples lips when the lights went up for intermission at Hamilton in the old Schubert Theater last night.  Even the jaded and sophisticated had to nod to agreement.  That one man could both write and compose such a feat of ingenuity strains comprehension.

Despite being a well-seasoned two-year-old, the musical retains every bit of its freshness and edge.  The superb script and exceptional acting were completely expected.  Other performance surprises that took the play from spectacular to great were not.

Among the 11 Tony awards the musical received last year, Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography was one of them.  Charged with recreating that dance magic in Chicago, Michael Balderrama, resident choreographer for the Chicago show, appears to have exceeded all expectations.  The dancing became another character on the stage that responded, moved, mirrored and accentuated both the dialog and the action of the play.  Dancers in the ensemble took precision to soaring heights; making the choreography flow like living silk.

A moving circle imbedded in the stage turned out to be yet another unexpected star of the show.  Spinning slowly like a record on a turntable, it brought another layer of visual dimension to the performance and added a fascinating visual experience.

Opening in a beautiful musical cadence, the play unfurled to introduce characters and set the pace of the show.  The sense of excitement planted during that beginning never flagged.

Miranda understands that regardless of our individual gifts, talents, levels of ambition or the dimensions of our egos, we are all human.   And as people, we are all flawed.  He brought his interpretations of the people he read about in Ron Chernow’s biography and turned his understanding of them into flesh, bones, heart and soul.  And, as everyone knows, he did it in voices that come straight off the streets of present day America with actors who look much like the people you’ll find on any downtown street of a thriving city.

Talking to her husband, a woman sitting to the right said, “he’s being portrayed as a hard ass”.  She was right, to a point.  Hamilton had something to prove and was doggedly ambitious.  That kind of personality gets noticed and resented.  It’s a major reason why his mentor; later to become his arch rival, Aaron Burr, advised him, “Talk less, smile more”.  Of course he didn’t.  Greatness often only listens to itself and Hamilton wasn’t about “to waste his shot”.

Miguel Cervantes’ Hamilton had all the hutzpah of a gifted striver.  A brilliant and prolific wordsmith, Hamilton’s pen was as adroit at shaping opinion as his tongue.  For someone who wasn’t born in this country and whose family connections were non-existent, those who thought themselves better suited for recognition and political distinction bristled at the rawness of his determination.  Those rivalries and side trips into political intrigue were turned out to be added gloss that added to the play’s brilliance.  Not only was the intensity of the conflicts starkly drawn, the characters themselves were equally well developed. 

Alexander Gemignani, outrageous and erudite in his role as King George, was an instant hit as he amped up the pomp while spewing humorous vitriol concerning the wayward colonies in the Americas.   But behind those clever lines was incalculable loathing that helped reveal the delicate and tenuous health of a fledgling democracy.

Hamilton’s feud with Thomas Jefferson took on a very high public profile.  And the energy of their enmity was accentuated with color blind casting.  Not only did a black actor portray Jefferson, he expressed himself with grit, as well as eloquence, and employed street sass to embellish his intellectual arguments.  Cervantes’ Hamilton did the same thing making them cerebral equals and fearsome adversaries.

Private stories happen within public ones and the nature of Hamilton’s private life proved pivotal in understanding the man.  And it was in this realm that women captivated.  The play gave them depth and intelligence as well as compassion and forgiveness.  Ari Afsar as Hamilton’s wife Eliza was like iron that refused to melt after weathering the loss of an only son and her husband’s infidelity.  And Montego Glover as her sister, Angelica Schuyler, placed in high relief the formidability of two highly intelligent focused minds.

The play was top heavy with many splendid individual performances.  The duel culminating Hamilton was simply the brandy marinated heritage cherry complimenting the final taste of a superb Manhattan.