First opening to American audiences both off and on Broadway in 2015, the wait Australian audiences have had to endure to experience Hamilton the Musical has been an extensive one. If not for the bravery of producer Michael Cassel Group to commence a tour amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we may have been waiting longer – but since 2021 the musical has crossed Australia, eventually making its home at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)’s Lyric Theatre where it will be performed for the next few months. Known for its sold-out status, rap-driven soundtrack, and coveted tickets, I know more than a few people who travelled across to New York, with attendance at a performance being at the top of their itinerary. So finally getting to experience it in my home state is a rather big deal. But with a filmed “Hamilfilm” version already available to stream via Disney+ with the big-name original cast, and a non-American audience to entertain, does this production meet the high expectations set by its Broadway counterpart, or is it worth staying indoors and watching Hamilton on the couch? Read on to find out.
True to its namesake, Hamilton the Musical is an autobiographical tale following the life of American founding father Alexander Hamilton in the mid-to-late 1700s until his dying days, starting with the American Revolution against the British and concluding with the infamous duel. A tale of his rise to power among peers, his loves, his losses, and his internal/external struggles, this production opts to cover numerous events of his life and multiple facets of his personality, both from the perspective of him and others he was involved with during his lifetime. The shifting perspectives and narrative-driven soundtrack are two-pronged, working well in its favour but also leaving some potential complications.
I would argue that knowing a bit about Alexander Hamilton’s life, or American History in general, is valuable to have a seamless viewing experience. The unrelenting pacing at points gives off the assumption you have this knowledge, or at least the ability to mentally keep up with what is taking place. This would be expected of those growing up in the United States education system, but for someone who never touched Modern History, let alone American History in school, it was a much more mentally intensive watch. This is by no means a bad thing, but you aren’t hand-held as much as other musicals typically would with its narrative, and probably not the performance after a meeting-filled day in the office as was the case with me. For the first time with any production, I was acutely aware that any lapse in my attention would likely leave me confused about future events taking place.
What won this production over for me was not so much leading character, but the roles of Aaron Burr and Eliza Hamilton – especially in the Second Act as we are led to experience the trauma and despair she feels at the events surrounding her family and husband. Including multiple perspectives apart the titular individual – as tempting as it might have been – added additional layers to him, and gave the show an opportunity to be more diverse with its musical repertoire.
While Australia is fortunately removed from many political events currently taking place in the United States, the show’s key messages and its juxtaposition/relatability to current events leave Hamilton the Musical feeling both incredibly fresh for the current musical theatre space, but also very timely.
The Opening Night Experience
Between running them as my day job, and attending them in a journalistic capacity, I have been attending the opening nights of musicals for the greater part of a decade now. From impromptu standing ovations mid-show to technical issues, I have seen it all. But it isn’t too often you see a crowd as impassioned as Hamilton’s Brisbane opening night, starting with the opening number being interrupted by a good half-minute-long burst of excited applause, to the buzz in the auditorium during the interval, the hype levels were well up there on Tuesday evening. Granted, your mileage may vary as opening nights typically have heavily tailored audiences, but basing my thoughts on just the crowd for that one night, the hype meter was up at maximum. I will say, however, that closing merchandise sales for that one evening was unusual, and a tad disappointing considering I was primed to buy the books and a few other trinkets.
On the note of music, the soundtrack is easily the most substantive element of this production. Even when you have left the theatre, it is possible to relive much of the story through listening to the original cast recording alone, with the choreography, cast and staging serving more as additions to build upon a strong track selection. While there are some spoken lines, a majority of the narrative and key events are presented through song, and fortunately, a majority of them are earworms that could very well stay fresh in your mind for days or weeks afterwards. Forgoing the typical forms of music found in a majority of musicals, creator Lin-Manuel Miranda primarily uses the style he so expertly used in In the Heights, rap. From the opening song, ‘Alexander Hamilton’ which drew rapturous applause from the audience – not only after but during the performance – viewers are treated to mostly well-choreographed and catchy songs, one after the other. Seriously, even if you don’t get the chance to watch the production, the cast recording is still worth a listen to.
As an added acknowledgement, Hamilton’s music style appears to have at least influenced other pop culture and media, such as the 2020-2022 musical sitcom Central Park that features the likes of Leslie Odom Jr. and Daveed Diggs, which I will forever be grateful for getting to experience.
With this being the Australian production of Hamilton the Musical, as is to be expected, there is the element of casting to separate the live performed version to Hamilfilm or other media formats. The casting is unsurprisingly of excellent quality, with Michael Cassel Group continuing to have the diverse casting of the Broadway production, and forgoing celebrity guests with having the best person fill each role. In the lead roles, Jason Arrow, Martha Berhane, Callan Purcell and Akina Edmonds all thrive in the lead roles of Alexander Hamilton, Eliza Hamilton, Aaron burr and Akina Edmonds, with Brent Hill being an absolute delight in the incidental role of King George. Everyone in the cast is madly talented, and although some who have watched the Hamilfilm I have found would favour the original Broadway cast. Their enunciation is also exquisite, even in the faster songs – so even if you need to mentally catch-up on a song, it is never really unclear what they are saying or singing.
While Australia is fortunately removed from many political events currently taking place in the United States, the show’s key messages and its juxtaposition/relatability to current events leave Hamilton the Musical feeling both incredibly fresh for the current musical theatre space, but also very timely.
I think the biggest limiting factor to Hamilton the Musical is ultimately its price tag, and while some limited tickets are available for $70.00, tickets in the stalls can range from $200 – $250 per seat. Ultimately I think seeing Hamilton the Musical live is something worthwhile doing at least once, as the Australian cast is amazing and the whole atmosphere is far different from the streamed version. But for those unable to shell out potentially $800+ to take the family out for a night at the theatre, options such as the aforementioned Hamilfilm on Disney+ can still be excellent means of enjoying the show.
Hamilton the Musical is not necessarily the relaxing trip to the theatre one might expect, as keeping up with the lyrically intricate songs and rapid-fire pacing can be challenging for those not in the know of historical events. But looking past that, you can see why it has proven to be one of the defining musicals so far of this generation – taking a subject that would be taught dryly in schools and given a very modern angle, complemented by a diverse cast, stellar choreography and songs that you will be humming away to for weeks.
After all these years, Brisbane is finally the room where it happened… and it was worth the wait.
Opening night review tickets were provided by Michael Cassel Group for the purpose of this review.
Hamilton the Musical’s Australian tour is concluding in Brisbane at a date yet to be specified, before heading to the Spark Arena in New Zealand for a limited season starting 25 May 2023. For information on booking tickets to both Brisbane and New Zealand seasons, click HERE.
