So. I saw Hamilton yesterday, in the “partial view” seats in the back (the only ticket I could possibly afford) and featuring Alysha Deslorieux as an understudy for Eliza Hamilton. It was an amazing experience. My brain is still swirling with beautiful images and sounds.
Here are my general impressions. I’ll write another post with specific details I thought were great.
The performers that impressed me the most in person were Renée Elise Goldsberry and Daveed Diggs. Renée is the best singer in the cast, without question. She filled every inch of the theater with her voice. During “Satisfied” I swear I could feel my skin vibrating with it. Daveed Diggs impressed me because he can emote so well with his entire body. From my seat way in the back it was sometimes hard to catch the details of facial expressions, but it was always easy with Daveed. His body is constantly showing an emotion, even when he’s not the one singing.
The musical brought to life the Hamilton/Burr relationship in a way the soundtrack never fully did. Leslie Odom Jr. was right when he said in that interview that Hamilton is Aaron Burr’s story of the most amazing man he ever met, who he also happened to murder.
First of all, Aaron Burr is ubiquitous. He’s dancing in many scenes where he doesn’t sing anything, like all the Revolutionary War scenes (”Stay Alive,” “The Battle of Yorktown”) and the political scenes after he becomes senator (”Cabinet Battle #2″). And because of the staging, with this balcony surrounding the main action, Burr often watches scenes that don’t directly involve him. So he’s a constant presence in the musical as its narrator. It’s like he’s trying to place himself inside every part of Hamilton’s life, so he can try to understand it.
Second, the Hamilton/Burr friendship is much more physically affectionate than I ever would have guessed. Several times they take each other by the arm or shoulder in a familiar way. This made it more impactful for me when they fell out with each other, because then they stopped touching each other and kept their distance.
Actually, the musical has a lot more physical affection all around than I would have thought. I loved this. The revolutionary boys in the first act are constantly hugging each other and each other’s arms or shoulders, though Hamilton and Laurens do it most of all. The Schuyler sisters are also super affectionate with each other, and it’s totally adorable! I lost count of the number of times they kissed each other on the nose, cheek, or jaw. Eliza has her hand on Hamilton’s thigh during “That Would Be Enough” and Angelica’s conversation with Hamilton in “Satisfied” is with their faces like an INCH APART. So yeah, things are very cuddly in the first act, less so in the second act, but still.
And I said with Burr, the use of the balcony and the edges of the stage does a lot. There are often characters watching scenes from the edges or the balcony who aren’t in them. Maria Reynolds is watching during “We Know” and “The Reynolds Pamphlet.” The Schuyler sisters watch Hamilton speak on a soapbox in “My Shot.” Heartbreakingly, Phillip watches during “The Reynolds Pamphlet,” looking despondent. All this watching from above contributes to the message of legacy, reputation, and how you’ll be perceived. History has its eyes on everything that happens in the musical.
The staging is just as good as everyone has said. The lights and turntable are used to convey motion, the frenetic action of war and the streets of New York in a relatively small space. Hamilton’s scenes are well-lit (except “Hurricane”) while Burr’s scenes, like “Wait For It” and the second half of “The Room Where it Happens” are dark with a few splashes of light. The set is very changeable, and at many times the whirl of objects coming in and out and the fast motions of the dancers make the stage feel like the inside of Hamilton’s brain.
As a final thought, I would like to say that Alysha Deslorieux made a very good Eliza. She’s a beautiful black woman with a mane of natural hair. Her voice is rougher and huskier than Phillippa’s, and very tender. Another difference from Phillippa is that at the famous moment at the end of the musical when the spotlight shines on her and she looks out at the audience, instead of Phillippa’s gasp, she clutches her hand to her chest and gives a delighted, awed smile. To me that even better supports the interpretation that Eliza is breaking the fourth wall and seeing the audience, amazed and so grateful that we were all there to see her story told.
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