Since life in “America Now” means a new Grotesquerie de Washington almost every week, it is difficult to feel optimistic. But “Hamilton” insists on our right to joy – the pursuit of happiness, one could say – while registering more fully than ever as a work of resistance and restoration.
“Hamilton” follows the life and career of his figurine before, during and after the revolutionary war, a trip which included stays as the best military assistant to George Washington and first secretary of the Treasury. Almost all the points along this trip, Hamilton rubs someone in the wrong direction.
Artistically, “Hamilton” remains a thing of magic, with bodies and words in constant and swirling moving while the great personalities come together to tear the colonies from the tyrannical grip of Great Britain. Their goal is to create a new nation, after which they can resume the fighting with each other.
The tourist production of “Hamilton” which arrived at the Opera Citizens, led by Thomas Kail, is a well -oiled machine, but there is nothing mechanical on this subject. All musicals could not survive a performance below the title role, but “Hamilton” the fact. At this point, the show itself is the star.
The performance in question is of Michael Natt, a standby that continued from Hamilton on Wednesday evening in place of Tyler Fauntleroy. Going into a role that big, especially if it was in the short term, is a challenge for any actor. (A Broadway representative in Boston said Thursday that Fauntleroy was under the weather on Wednesday.)
Of course, Natt seemed provisional on stage; He did not projection the kind of strength or charisma that would inspire other voluntary characters to follow Hamilton – or oppose him, as Aaron Burr does. Natt seemed to become more assured over the performance.
Deon’te Goodman does not retain anything in his dynamic representation of Burr, the Hamilton Frenemy has become a political enete and, finally, killer, in a duel. Goodman, who will play burr until October 5, transmits the bitterness of a man whose own gifts have been insufficiently recognized because the light thrown by his rival is so powerful.
After a decade of popularity for “Hamilton”, it was not surprising that many public members on Wednesday evening at the Opera clearly knew the show. The actors’ album was a huge success, and a filmed performance of the original distribution of Broadway was broadcast on Disney +.
The public was delighted to see Matt Bittner as King George III, and Bittner did not disappoint. It was very dark and sinister in the right proportions. In the act a “Yorktown” issue, when Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette exult “Immigrants: we do the work!” The public applauded, as he always did, from 2015.
But the artistic talent of “Hamilton” is what makes him build to last. One of our best songwriters, Miranda composed more than 30 songs for “Hamilton”, working in a variety of styles: hip-hop, pieces of Broadway, jazz, R&B and pop show. Remarkably, none of these 30 songs and more looks like filling. (The same goes for the partition of Miranda in the musical that put her on the Broadway card, “in the Heights”, which won four Tony Awards, including for the best musical and for the best original score.)
Each of the songs of “Hamilton” has a job to do, whether to advance the story or offer an overview of the mind of a character.
There is a strong work by Lauren Mariavesososay in the role of Eliza Hamilton, the wife of Alexander, holding her together after personal tragedies that would flow a lesser soul; And Amanda Simone Lee in the role of Angelica Schuyler, who sacrifices her own chance with Hamilton because her sister, Eliza, is disintegrating with him. Lee is at the center of “defenseless”, a stroke in which the past and the present converge. (Lee entered the role on Wednesday evening because Marja Harmon, who normally plays Angelica, had one day planned, according to the spokesperson.)
The active ingredients are also a weaver like a severe Washington, who chooses Hamilton as his best help and shows him a hard love when justified; Christian Magby as the arrogant Thomas Jefferson and a flamboyant and freewheel Lafayette; Kai Thomani Tshikosi like Hercules Mulligan and James Madison; Lily Soto as Peggy Schuyler, Hamilton’s sister-in-law, and Maria Reynolds, the woman with whom he has a disastrous affair.
The winner choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler – Martial One Moment, Fluid The following – is as crucial for the success of “Hamilton” as the work of Jerome Robbins and Peter Gennaro in “West Side Story” original. Howell Binkley’s lighting design skillfully suggests mood changes, while Paul Tazelli’s perfect costumes attract and then hold their eyes. David Korins’ scenic design is minimalist but imposing.
Directed by Emmanuel Schvartzman, the orchestra is impactful when they need to be – with the opening number, for example, or “the room where it happens”, say, or “what I missed”. But they settle in the musical equivalent of a murmur to capture the loss of the loss of “it’s quiet uptown”.
Miranda worked from a large varied emotional palette, but the musical does not feel overloaded. There is a good chance that in 10 years – hell, in a century – “Hamilton” will always have something to say.
Hamilton
Book, music and words of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Inspired by “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow. Choreography, Andy Blankenbuehler. Orchestrations, Alex Lacoie. Directed by Thomas Kail. Presented by Broadway in Boston. To Citizens Opera House, Boston. Until November 2. Tickets $ 49.50 +. www.broadwayinboston.com
Don aucoin can be contacted at Donald.aucoin@globe.com. Follow him @Globeaucoin.
