JADAR

★★★★★

Hamilton, arguably the greatest musical in the world, has its UK regional premiere in Manchester – indisputably, the greatest city in the world.

Hamilton is a biographical musical which tells the story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, and other American revolutionary leaders, during and after the War of Independence. It is notable for casting non-White actors in all of its lead roles (except the British), reclaiming the founding story for Americans of colour.

Whilst the colour-conscious casting has received great praise, other have criticised it for whitewashing history: the Founding Fathers were slave-owning White supremacists. Whilst most of the cast is Black and brown, not a single character is a person of colour; actual people of colour are omitted from the musical’s historical narrative, much like they have been from the narrative taught in textbooks.. The musical simultaneously includes and excludes people of colour.

This debate (racial reclamation or whitewash?) has been addressed by Lin Manuel Miranda himself, who welcomes the criticisms as “valid”. This debate was the focus of the second chapter of my MA dissertation. Hamilton‘s approach to race, though controversial, is irrefutably bold and ambitious. Whilst the casting welcomes criticism, perhaps the most powerful racial aspect of the musical is the score: the founding story is told through African-American music.

The score, which is sung-and-rapped-through, is the show’s selling point. Whilst hip-hop is the musical’s lingua franca, Miranda incorporates various African-American genres, as well as traditional musical theatre music, celebrating African-Americans’ contribution to American arts in his reclamation of the American founding story. There are nods to real-life African American artists, from Destiny’s Child (‘The Schuyler Sisters’) to and Ashanti and Ja Rule (‘Helpless’ was based on their iconic collaborations so Miranda asked them to sing the song on The Hamilton Mixtape).

The score repeatedly references earlier songs in various ways: instrumentals during scene changes to remind us of the past; brief melodies from previous songs to address a specific character; brief lyrics from previous songs to recall previous events; etc. An example is Eliza singing the word “helpless” during Angelica’s ‘Satisfied’, and both sisters singing those words together during a later number. There are so many incredible songs and you often feel disappointed when they are over – but many of the songs are referenced down the line.

The set is simple and strong, and the cast make great use of the space, which is transformed with incredible lighting. It does not matter that the set is fixed; props, lighting and movement aid in scene transitions. The costumes are not the most striking but they are sophisticated.

The choreography is impeccable, from the hip-hop dancing to the mere movements of actors. Some of the best choreography is seen in the aforementioned ‘Satisfied’, which immediately follows ‘Helpless’. Whilst the latter, performed by Eliza, tells the story of how she and Hamilton fell in love, the former recounts the previous events from the point-of-view of her sister, Angelica, who is also in love with Hamilton. ‘Satisfied’ begins with Angelica making a toast at the wedding of Hamilton and Eliza. The ensemble repeatedly sing “rewind”, and the scene undoes itself. It’s as if you’re rewinding a videotape. Eventually, the song catches up with the present. The transitions are divine.

People sometimes lament that no cast could possibly touch the original Broadway cast, which was made up of notable actors, from Miranda himself to Leslie Odom Jr. Thanks to the success of the soundtrack and the Disney+ proshot, these actors are inherently linked with the characters. This means that, at the top of the show, you might initially find yourself struggling to connect with the actors taking on the roles – especially because the show allows performers to put their own spin on their characters’ numbers. However, it does not take long for the cast to cements themselves in the roles – you’ll be asking, “Lin Manuel Miranda who?!”

The cast is led by Shaq Taylor, who came to prominence when he replaced the fired Emmanuel Kojo as the male lead in Beauty and the Beast. He embodies Hamilton, a morally dubious, flawed, complex character. Sam Oladeinde, who starred in the original West End cast, is perfectly cast as Hamilton’s enemy, Aaron Burr – an anti-villain, of sorts.

Leading lady Maya Britto is angelic as Eliza; soft and sensitive but strong when she needs to be. Her rendition of ‘Burn’ is a tour de force that will break your heart. Aisha Jawando is striking as Angelica, the more fiery Schuyler sister. Her roars and shrieks will send chills down your spine; it is no surprise that she previously played Tina Turner.

Daniel Boys is hilarious as the mad but marvellous King George. Billy Nevers slays as the fabulously French Marquis de Lafayette and the loveable villain Thomas Jefferson.

Gabriela Benedetti (Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds), KM Drew Boateng (Hercules Mulligan and James Madison), Deangelo Jones (John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton), and Charles Simmons (George Washington) are all given moments to shine – and they shine like stars.

The ensemble is epic, especially during the dance-heavy numbers. I was completely captivated by Antoine Murray-Straughan, who I previously saw in the word premiere of & Juliet and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s recent revival of Once on This Island. He shines whenever he is onstage. There is even a moment where the ensemble suddenly break into dance briefly; he humps the floor and shakes his derriere before running offstage. These humorous inserts help break up the action.

Similarly, there are a few meta moments, such as the Caribbean Hamilton and French Lafayette turning to the audience and proudly stating, “Immigrants – we get the job done.” The book gets the balance right. It’s stuffed, heavy, emotional, and it can be depressing, but Les Mis, this is not!

The press night curtain call, which saw the standbys and covers take a bow, ended with a dance-off – some much-needed joy after a three-hour whirlwind.

I could go on and on about why this is, arguably, the best musical of all time but then I’d be giving too much away. The only issue with the musical is its complex racial politics, which whitewashes history as much as it reclaims it. After all, why is this progressive, pro-Black musical universally popular – even to American conservatives (such as Trump’s Vice President, Mike Pence), most of whom generally detest race-swapping? Because it’s a patriotic production which arguably – unintentionally but nonetheless – gives credence to the post-racial myth.

That is not to take anything away from the production: it is indisputably a celebration of African-American history, culture and contribution to the United States of America.

So, do not throw away your shot – book your tickets today. I promise, you’ll be satisfied.

Hamilton runs at a Palace Theatre Manchester until February 24 2024, and tours the UK until September 17 2025.

Photo: Danny Kaan