SUPREME EYEBROW ARCH – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Dramatic Premise
Alexander Hamilton, future founding father and United States Treasury Secretary, grew up impoverished, and in squalor, on the Caribbean island of Nevis.
But after penning a stirring account of a hurricane which destroyed his home, the townsfolk raise sufficient money to send the young Hamilton to New York for an education.
With the American War of Independence on the horizon, Hamilton is in the right place at the right time to make his mark. To take his shot.
Highly intelligent, highly motivated and highly articulate, Hamilton is destined for greatness.
But will his blinding arrogance bring him undone?
He befriends the Marquis de Lafayette. But he clashes with Aaron Burr. He’s George Washington’s right-hand man. But James Madison and Thomas Jefferson both detest him.
How will this intoxicating story of ambition and human foibles end? Will Hamilton take his chance or will he throw away his shot?
The Hip-Hop Musical
How does a middle-aged, bald man, son of some white folk,
And a lawyer,
Raised on little better than Lloyd Webber,
First thirsting and urging for it to stop,
Somehow become an advocate for hip-hop?
I first saw Hamilton at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre in 2022; my first visit to a theatre since the end of the Covid lockdown.
And at first, I just wasn’t getting it.
The speech was rapid. The rhyming scheme was unfamiliar. The characters seemed to be tripping over their own tongues to spit the words out.
But the fault lay with me, not them. I simply wasn’t familiar with either hip-hop or its traditions.
Then, suddenly, it clicked!
I remember the exact moment it happened. Angelica Schuyler was belting out Satisfied and she rapped:
“The conversation lasted two minutes, maybe three minutes
Everything we said in total agreement
It’s a dream and it’s a bit of a dance
A bit of a posture, it’s a bit of a stance
“He’s a bit of a flirt, but I’mma give it a chance
I asked about his fam’ly, did you see his answer?
His hands started fidgeting, he looked askance
He’s penniless, he’s flying by the seat of his pants”
“Askance!“
I can rhyme “dance” with “stance”. Most people can. But, not in a million years do I have “a chance” rhyming with “askance“.
So, now I’m hearing the sheer genius in the words.
“Ruinous” rhyming with “doing this“.
“Pseudonym” rhyming with “do to him“.
And as the word plays started making sense, so does the staccato rhythm.
By “Guns & Ships“, towards the end of the first Act, I was all in. By the “Battle of Yorktown“, I was hooked. By “The Room Where it Happened”, early in the second Act, I was bouncing in my seat with excitement.
Somebody has calculated that there are over 20,000 words in Hamilton. That’s 144 words per minute. And it’s genius.
Not Just Hip-Hop
That said, Hamilton is not just a hip-hop musical.
From the uplifting joy of “Helpless“, to the jazzy “What’d I Miss“, to the sultry “Say No To This”, to the scorching torch-song of “Burn“, to the sorrowful lament of “It’s Quiet Uptown“, there’s plenty of content a musical theatre purist would find…well…satisfying.
To say nothing of the echoes of a Beatles chorus which can be heard each time King George waddles onto the stage.
American Then, told by Australia Now
“Immigrants! We get the job done!”
The casting for this Australian production takes the lead from the original – and subsequent – Broadway productions through its commitment to diverse casting.
Jason Arrow (Alexander Hamilton) was born in Durban and raised in Perth.
Vidya Makan (Eliza Hamilton) is of South-Indian descent and also has ties with South Africa.
Callan Purcell (Aaron Burr) is a Wiradjuri man.
Akina Edmonds (Angelica Schuyler) boasts both Maori and Japanese blood.
Googoorewon Knox (George Washington) is another indigenous man.
Elandrah Eramiha (Peggy Schuyler / Maria Reynolds) is a New Zealander with Pasifika heritage.
Gerard-Luke Malgas (Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson) hails from South Africa via New Zealand.
Taingan Savage (John Laurens / Phillip Hamilton) is a Torres Strait Islander.
Each of the leads – and the cast as a whole – were outstanding. Together, they honoured the traditions of the original text, whilst adding an Australian flavour from time to time.
What My Eyebrows Told Me
I’ve already described my initial lukewarm response to Hamilton’s unconventional beat. My eyebrows initially rested comfortably at a low arch. I was happy to ride out the ensuing two and a half hours (or so) and add Hamilton to my rich tapestry of theatre experience.
But then my eyebrows began to twitch.
My attitude began to switch.
By the end of the first Act, my eyebrows were hovering between a caterpillar arch and a high arch. Early in the second Act, my eyebrows were frozen in a permanent supreme arch. And that is where they will stay whenever I think of this magnificent show.
I have heard tale told of the opening scene in West Side Story – bustling with kinetic energy and bursting with clever lyrics – changing musical theatre forever. Doubtless other productions have captured the zeitgeist in a similar way. Hair. The Phantom of the Opera. I would have loved to see the audience reaction to the first Gilbert & Sullivan light opera.
Hamilton is this generation’s West Side Story. Lin Manuel Miranda, and his team, captured the rhythms of the street and stitched them into a stunning Broadway musical. It’s lightening in a bottle.
“It’s Benjamin Franklin with the key and the kite. You get it right?”
Neither we, nor musical theatre, will ever be the same.
For more information on the current Australian production of Hamilton:
Leave a comment