I saw Hamilton for the 4th time Saturday night. It's hard to avoid comparing performances, even if that can sometimes be unfair. But I also hadn't seen it, or played the cast recording, in a while - so there were some things about the show that hit me again.
Julius Thomas III is an engaging, likeable Alexander Hamilton in the first act, though I liked his performance as the more confident Hamilton in the second act (he's especially good in the rap battles, and from "It's Quiet Uptown" through the end of the show). I can only see him getting better in the role, and he brings the right amount of charisma to it.
Donald Webber Jr. had tough acts to follow for me, as my previous Burrs were Leslie Odom Jr. and Joshua Henry. He's almost too subtle at times, his singing not quite as powerful. But Webber acts the part well, and he absolutely nails the pre- and post-Hamilton duel songs, reminding me of how powerful they can be.
Sabrina Sloan doesn't have the vocal strength I've seen in past Angelicas, but again, she makes up for it by acting the role very well.
Julia K. Harriman was out, so Rebecca Covington played Eliza - and she was terrific. Covington has a strong soprano voice, and was able to handle everything from the giddiness of "Helpless" to the anger of "Burn" with ease.
Isaiah Johnson, who I've seen as George Washington a couple of times before, brings his usual command and strong voice. I expected him to be good, and he was.
Simon Longnight makes an unusual Lafayette/Jefferson, in large part because his higher voice is so quirky. He's OK as Lafayette, has the usual post-Daveed Diggs problems with "Guns and Ships." As Jefferson, he really hams it up, even waving his arms to the audience to get a response. While I've been less thrilled with hammier approaches to Jefferson's character in the past, in part because it has undermined his sharp intelligence and rivalry with Hamilton, somehow Longnight makes it work. While I have resigned myself to not really seeing a post-Diggs Lafayette/Hamilton that completely satisfies me, Longnight was fun as Jefferson.
Darilyn Castillo is a good Peggy and an appropriately seductive Maria Reynolds. While she didn't quite reach Jasmine Cephas Jones-level vocals, Castillo was close enough.
Trey Curtis was in for Ruben Carbajal as Laurens/Philip, and he was another understudy who did a fine job. A big guy, Curtis was a bit uncomfortable as 9-year-old Philip, but that was more endearing than awkward - and drew laughter from the audience. He was quite good otherwise.
Rick Negron is a straightforward King George. He doesn't get in the way of the humor in his songs, but he also doesn't add much to them.
Brandon Louis Armstrong does a good job as Mulligan/Madison, adding nice comedic touches and interacting amusingly with Longnight's Jefferson.
A couple of thoughts: I was honestly surprised by how hard the end of this familiar show hit me. Thomas and Webber were at their best, I thought, from "It's Quiet Uptown" onward, and Covington was wonderful in the final song, including her last moment.
There's so much to appreciate, including Miranda's impressive wordplay and the wonderful score. The last two musicals I've seen are Hello, Dolly and Hamilton - and both are blessed with terrific, albeit very different, scores.
I also thought about the criticism of Hamilton as being over-directed. My seats were close enough to get a good look at the often-busy stage movement. But I never really feel like the ensemble, the choreography or the lighting detracts from the show. It's an added attraction, a little visual joke, or - as in "Satisfied" or the final duel - a fantastic work of creativity.
Updated On: 3/20/19 at 08:19 PM
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