KingOPancakes said: "So I just got home from today's matinee and want to report back. My apologies for the long-winded post, but I have so many thoughts right now I just need to get them out of my head and into the ether.
Sat Orchestra row A seat 12, so as far stage left (I think) as you can get. Because of the angle I missed anything that happened up top on that side (Washington during "Non-Stop", George Eaker at the play during "Blow Us All Away", etc). Also, being so close you're basically eye level with the stage (or a hair below), so you really can't appreciate the choreography of the turntables. However, being that close was truly remarkable. There were moments where I could have reached out and grabbed Lexi or Chris Jackson, I was about 1 foot to the right of Rory O'Malley's spit zone during "What Comes Next", and I swear you could see Javier crying during It's "Quiet Uptown".
My biggest concerns going in were who I would see in each role and how the newest cast members would do, so I'd like to go through it all for anyone seeing the show soon. For perspective, this was my first time seeing Hamilton so I can only compare to my worn out copy of the cast recording:
Brandon Victor Dixon as Burr: why would a review of Hamilton not start off by talking about Hamilton? Because Brandon Victor Dixon was absolutely phenomenal. If I hadn't been obsessively following the show since February, I never could've guessed he's been playing the part for less than 2 weeks. Leslie and Daveed were the 2 cast members I was most bummed about leaving and BVD filled Leslie's spot better than I ever could have hoped. He absolutely destroyed "Wait For It" and "The Room Where It Happens" and the rest of the audience seemed to agree based on the applause he got at the end of each. I actually heard a few people shout "Bravo!" at the end of "Wait For It" which I thought only happened in the movies. His "Dear Theodosia" was fantastic as well; his harmonies with Javier were beautiful. The man has a wonderful voice and is a very talented actor. His four lines immediately following the final duel (from "I strike him right between his ribs" to "I get a drink" are like 4 gut punches one after another, each slightly stronger than the last until he finally hits "I hear wailing in the streets" and tears are running down your eyes and you didn't even realize it. I could honestly keep talking about BVD's performance but I feel like I'm already at the point where half of you think I'm his grandmother in disguise and the other half have stopped reading.
Javier Muñoz as Hamilton: I'll keep this short since most people have probably seen or at least read about Javilton. A lot of praise has been written about "The sexy Hamilton" and I'll just say it is well deserved. He was wonderful. His young Ham is cocky but lovable and his old Ham kicks that up a notch or two. Very happy I got to see Javier as I have tickets for a Sunday in November where I'll probably see Michael Luwoye.
Lexi Lawson as Eliza: I'm surprised people aren't really enjoying Lexi. I thought she did very well. Her "Helpless" and "Who Lives Who Dies..." were just as good as Phillipa on the OBCR but "Burn" was her high point in my opinion. Very heartfelt. Very powerful.
Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy/Maria: with the least stage time of the 3 female leads, Jasmine really does make her presence known, especially as Maria. My jaw dropped when she nailed that note in "Say No To This" (you know exactly what note I'm talking about). Honestly, going into the show, I wasn't very concerned with who would be playing these parts, but by the end I was very happy I saw Jasmine.
Rory as King George: Rory is as funny and psychotic as you want him to be.
Renee Elise Goldsberry as Angelica: so happy I got to see one of her final performances. The audience went wild when she walked out during "The Schuyler Sisters" and she was perfect during "Satisfied". Mandy Gonzalez has some EMENSE shoes to fill.
Chris Jackson as Washington: I welled up a bit when I opened my program and saw I would get to see Chris Jackson today. I'd read about a few people who've seen the show more than once and hadn't seen Chris, so I was worried. He got a nice round of applause when he came out during the opening number and everyone went nuts when he came out during "Right Hand Man". "One Last Time" brought tears to my eyes and it ended with a bigger applause break than any other song, by a wide margin. It honestly felt like 30 seconds before the piano kicked in and everyone stopped clapping and started laughing as King George sauntered out. I think everyone realizes Chris will be moving on soon and really appreciated seeing him. When he hits "AlexANDER" at the end of "Guns & Ships" it sounds better than on the cast recording. The man has one of the most magnificent voices I've ever heard and quite effortlessly demands your attention when he's on the stage.
Andrew Chappelle as Mulligan/Madison: I would be lying if I didn't say that before the show I was disappointed all 3 main double-duty parts were being played by understudies/swings/replacements (I have no idea what to call them). But I was very pleasantly surprised for the most part. Andrew Chappelle has a presence on stage that comes through brilliantly, especially as Mulligan. Plus it's hilarious to see that beanie cap just sitting on his Afro during the beginning. The only disappointment I had with Andrew Chappelle was with the trademark Mulligan "brrrrrah". Not sure if he can't roll his r's, but it just sounded like he was saying the word "bra" over and over. It was sort of jarring.
Seth Stewart as Laff/Jeff: Seth's Lafayette was ok. His French accent isn't great, but he worked through it. I was worried during intermission since Jefferson is such a big part of the second half, but Seth put those fears to bed by the time he hit the bottom step during "What'd I Miss". He has such a swagger it's remarkable. And as far as lyrics, he was flawless. Hit every beat in "Guns & Ships" and "Washington On Your Side".
Thayne Jasperson as Lauren's/Philip: Oh boy. I feel bad putting down someone's performance, but it was not good. I'm not sure how to describe it. You know that stereotypical Disney channel child actor singing voice where they sort of overact to try and sell it? It was that type of vibe. He had some moments, the end of "Blow Us All Away" and "Stay Alive (Reprise)" were as great as I hoped, but the rest of the time he was on stage he just seemed to be trying too hard. Maybe I just caught him on an off day?
Sorry for the long post, but I was desperate for any information/opinions I could find before I went to see it, so I figured I'd give my $.02. Before I go I want to say one more thing. Even though the cast recording covers more or less the entire show, it's an entirely different experience seeing it live. Seeing the performances and the choreography and the staging just adds a whole other dimension. It's a cliche but it's like going from black and white to color for the first time. Take "Hurricane" for example. I was never a fan. It was one of my least favorite songs. But it was one of my favorite parts of the show. Watching them actually create a hurricane in slow motion around Hamilton was breathtaking. And when Hamilton says "I couldn't seem to die" and then Burr chimes in with "wait for it..." My heart sank. How have I listened to this album 100 times and not caught the most obvious yet subtle piece of foreshadowing ever written?
I have to stop writing. I don't want to but if I don't stop I won't stop. I've been thinking about what I just saw since I left the theater 6 hours ago and I'll be thinking about it until I see it again in November when I can start thinking about that performance and start saving my money for the next. I'm in love, and she ain't cheap. "
Saw the same performance as you, via lotto (woohoo!). Share a lot of the same thoughts but differ on a few:
Brandon Victor Dixon - Incredible voice. Wait for It and Room Where it Happens were thrilling but I felt the overall emotion of the role was lacking. I couldn't tell how Dixon wanted to portray Burr. There wasn't a noticeable character arc and the role lacked continuity. I hope in time he grows into the role because he obviously has the talent. I have seen four different Burrs now and this was the only time I didn't fall apart in my seat during The World Was Wide Enough.
Lexi Lawson - I find her to be a pretty weak replacement. She definitely plays the role much younger, which I appreciate because it gives an new opportunity for the relationship between Angelica and Eliza. However, Lexi's singing voice is pretty average, specifically in Helpless. I also found that she lacked varied facial expressions. She had the same neutral face the entire show.
Rory - cracked very badly and noticeably but he is a great king. He hams it up the most of the four Kings I've seen, which I don't care for. To me, what makes the role so great and humorous is all in the subtly. It often looked like Rory was trying too hard to be funny instead of letting the material work its magic.
Andrew Chappelle - His Mulligan is stronger than his Madison. I've only seen Andrew Chappelle on as Muligan/Madison (twice now). I still think he would make a better Lafayette/Jefferson. When I watch him, I am aware that I watching Andrew Chappelle play a part rather than watching the character. And I think Andrew's personality lends itself better to the Lafayette/Jefferson or King characters, parts where there are more flare. Andrew is a personality and is unable to tone it down. Not to say that is a bad thing , it's pretty obvious Andrew slays his flare, but for this part it doesn't work for me.
Seth Stewart - Loved him. No one will be able to match Daveed but though Seth did a very admirable job. I thought is Lafayette was great - just what it needed to be. And Seth's Jefferson was heightened because he moves so well. Seth has so much swagger that it made Jefferson that much more likable yet arrogant. Seth rocked his cabinet battles.
Thayne - I adore Thayne. He is infectious and you want to watch him. However, I agree with some of what you say. His Laurens was on the weaker side. He lacks some of the grit needed to play a Son of Liberty. His diction was too perfect and proper (which is sad because often times actors are hard to understand and here, Thayne was too easy) that he didn't sound like the rebellious revolutionary he was playing. Sometimes you have to throw away all tools you learned in your career!! However, Thayne's Phillip was BRILLIANT. He was cute, lovable, vulnerable, naive, and his death was tragic.Dare I say I enjoyed his Phillip more than Anthony Ramos' portrayal.
I loved the ensemble, the swings and new additions. Of course I miss my favorites like Betsy and Ariana but overall the ensemble is still as electrifying as ever. Stand out of the day was Neil Haskell. He's incredible and puts so much emotion in whatever he does whether he's front and center or in the back corner.
I did catch some people out of character in the background, which was disappointing. One principle in particular only seemed to turn it on when he was front and center. This was especially noticeable in non-stop on the top level. Every cast member should remember that at any given time at least one of the 1300 people, most of whom are seeing the show for the first time, is watching you.
Renee and Chris are such veterans and such anchors for this cast, It was such an honor to seem them once more. Renee held it together but fell apart during bows, realizing that she just had one more show to go. You can tell she's the mother of the cast and there is so much respect for her in that Room. Same goes with Chris, the father. He gets all the applause he deserves after One Last Time. He exudes humility, grace, wisdom and power - it will certainly be hard to match that down the line.
I agree with a previous poster that Hamilton is in a great transition phase. Once all the replacements are cast and begin, the new cast can find its groove. i enjoyed the show immensely but it was definitely lacking something this time around.
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