Hamilton Casting

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 12:35am

I assume most of the original cast of Hamilton will be with the show for a year so future replacements are a way off. However, I'm curious about the extremely diverse casting and if the ethnicity of the current actors are now tied to their characters. For example, will Hamilton always be played by a Latino? Will Angelica always be black? King George always white? So many possibilities for these incredible characters and I'm wondering how rigid the future casting notices will be. I saw the show for the second time this week and I just can't get it out of my head. Amazing.

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 12:37am

The original casting breakdown (which is a scream and worth tracking down) had all principal roles except George listed as "Non-white" and George listed as "Caucasian." I think that is very deliberate. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 12:43am

Agreed! Is this the original? (I was a bit of a latecomer to the whole Hamilton thing.)  http://www.backstage.com/casting/hamilton-bway-63813/

[Dave13]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 1:09am

LizzieCurry said: "Agreed! Is this the original? (I was a bit of a latecomer to the whole Hamilton thing.)  http://www.backstage.com/casting/hamilton-bway-63813/

 

It looks like casting for the Broadway Show. However, all of the cast from Public Theater was carried over with the exception of King George. Maybe this was for understudies. The original show at the Public Theater opened January 20th. 

Also interesting, is it appears that casting calls for any ethnic background. I would anticipate that future cast members will be selected without any preference to ethnic background or color. I don't believe  future cast members will be same as the original cast. 

 

Updated On: 8/31/15 at 01:09 AM

[The Josh]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 1:40am

There's no doubt in my mind that they'll keep with the non-white casting, apart from King George.  I don't think it will stay race-specific (I.e. Maybe Burr won't always be black) but I do think casting people of color was a very conscious choice and it will stay that way.

[haterobics]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 2:46am

Dave13 said: However, all of the cast from Public Theater was carried over with the exception of King George."

 

Groff played King George at The Public, too.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 4:05am

^ he just didn't originate the role there.

[Jace2017]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 10:36am

I don't know how rigid the non-white casting would be in the future. In the current cast, two of the understudies for the roles of color are covered by white people. Betsy Struxness covers Angelica and Thayne Jasperson covers John Lauren/ Phillip Hamilton. 

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 11:02am

"Betsy Struxness covers Angelica and Thayne Jasperson covers John Lauren/ Phillip Hamilton."

I'd REALLY love to see both of them in those roles! Maybe I'll play the lottery if/when they are schdueled to go on. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 11:37am

I wonder why they only want a white guy for King George. I'm sure plenty of non-white actors could have a total blast with it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 11:50am

Because his whiteness makes him an outsider.  

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 12:16pm

Exactly. I really hope they keep casting super whitebread white guys as the King. 

[Lilly7]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 12:49pm

I don’t think the show will ever cast a white actor in a role besides King George. It was one of the first things highlighted by the media and it’s part of the show identity now.  In a lot of way, it feels like the show was written with having a diverse cast in mind. For example, “immigrants, we get the jobs done” wouldn’t have the same impact if Hamilton and Lafayette were two white guys high-fiving.

[jessejaehoon]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 1:01pm

The idea is that the revolutionaries were the voiceless immigrants in the 1770's, the way that people of color are largely voiceless in the 21st Century (and were more so in the 1770's). So really, until the US actually achieves a society where people of color really are equally represented in white-controlled media, Hamilton's casting stipulations probably will not, and should not, change.

As for Angelica always being black, or Eliza always being Asian, or Hamilton always being Latin – I'd say really as long as it's non-white, the characters can really be played by any person of color. Leslie Odom Jr. did recently say he'd want to see the first Asian-American Aaron Burr.

I did have a thought that this'd be great to have some more rappers take part in the show. Chance the Rapper, for one, could do a great job with Aaron Burr.

[Lilly7]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 1:09pm

^ I love Chance the Rapper but he's not the great of a singer and the Aaron Burr role has a lot less rapping than most of the other male parts.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 1:20pm

There are white ensemble members, of course. I believe two men? If I recall, General Lee and the Farmer Refuted tracks are both white. I could be wrong; I last saw the show in February.

Gavin Creel sang King George in the American Songbook concert presentation a few years back; he'd be a great replacement, down the road.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 1:33pm

No, Charles Lee is played by Jon Rua. He's not white.

[Lilly7]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 1:40pm

Just a couple of rappers who I think could possibly star in Hamilton

Lauryn Hill – Angelica

Frank Ocean – Aaron Burr (yeah he's not really a rapper but it works for the role)

Andre 3000 – Lafayette

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 2:04pm

I would imagine most contemporary rappers wouldn't be willing to the time commitment needed.  Most are also not use to performing 8 shows a week.

 

That being said, do any of them have any acting or dance experience?  It's not, as usual, only about the vocals.

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 8/31/15 at 2:49pm

The one rapper who could really work in Hamilton in my mind is Donald Glover (Childish Gambino). Besides him obviously being able to rap, he has an excellent singing voice, a ton of acting experience and comedic timing. I could see him playing Hamilton, Lafayette/Jefferson or Burr. 

[Hellob]

Posted: 9/1/15 at 12:26am

I saw Thayne, Ramos is 100x better.

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 9/1/15 at 12:33am

^ You saw Andrew Chapelle. Thayne hasn't gone on yet for Ramos

[The Josh]

Posted: 9/1/15 at 1:05am

^nothing could stop me from buying a ticket to see Donald Glover in Hamilton

[Hellob]

Posted: 9/1/15 at 1:32am

Oh, my apologies. I didn't even look up the guy's name. Just went by the other poster who said that was the u/s name & that he appeared. He was kind of heavy set, I thought he was white. He reminded me of Bobby Moynihan from SNL. He's fine but Ramos energizes the part. I was glad to see him again last week. 

Eta- I just looked up Chappelle & he doesn't look anything like the guy I saw. This guy looked chubby. I'll have to look at my playbill. If that's him, I need glasses. I was in row M. How could I see Bobby Moynihan in that guy?  

Updated On: 9/1/15 at 01:32 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/1/15 at 2:59am

Thayne is certainly NOT chubby.