Javier Munoz vs. Lin-Manuel Miranda

[@z5]

Posted: 2/6/16 at 11:57pm

Hi-- I'm sure this has been asked somewhere before, but I'm just curious at how different/ better or worse the show is with different Hamilton leads? Is it something that should just be seen with Lin?

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 12:42am

@z5 said: "Is it something that should just be seen with Lin?"

Absolutely not. Javi is amazing.

 

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 12:42am

The general opinion on here is that Javier is actually much more suited for the role than Lin. 

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 12:47am

If you see Javi, you are not missing out.  Earlier in the winter or late fall, Ben Brantley re-reviewed show after seeing Munõz.  Brantley loved him for a lot of the reasons you'll hear on the boad.Javi is a strong singer who puts a lot of emotion in to his interpretation of Hamilton. His performance is not LMM, but it's something pretty fabulous on it's own.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 12:58am

I'm seeing this next week, and kinda hoping Javier will go on.  I've heard great things.  (I've already seen LMM)

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 12:59am

I actually bought a ticket for this weekend specifically to see Javier. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to New York so I sold it. Hoping to catch him one of these days. 

 

What I've heard is that his rapping doesn't have the same level of passion, but his singing voice is much better. 

 

Personally LMM does not make or break Hamilton for me, although I've yet to see it without him. His creative genius cannot be denied and it's always cool to see someone in the role they wrote, but there are better actors and singers. In fact, to me most of the other PERFORMANCES stand out a lot more (namely Odom, Diggs, Jackson, Goldsberry, and Soo....  And after seeing it without Oak I'd throw him in there as well although I didn't appreciate him as much until seeing it without him), although of course LMM has a part in all of those thanks to the writing. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 1:30am

I saw Lin-Manuel twice at the Public. I'm not a big fan of Lin's singing voice, nor did I find him to be a natural choice for the role (despite it being written for himself).

 

So then on Broadway, I specifically went to see Javi because I had heard he was better. However, I have to say I was a little disappointed. Javi is a better singer than Lin, but honestly, by usual Broadway standards, Javi didn't strike me as much of a singer either. As a more conventionally attractive person, it was also easier to see Javi as the object of desire for both Angelica and Eliza. And in general I found his take on the character to be more smooth and charming than Lin's, which works for Hamilton. 

 

However, when all is said and done, despite all of Javi's strong points, I didn't see the fire in his performance. Lin-Manuel crackles and pops and exudes energy in a way that Javi just didn't for me. Just my 2 cents. I don't mean to imply that you should be sad if you don't see Lin. Javi is good, and both performers have their strengths and weaknesses. 

Updated On: 2/7/16 at 01:30 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 6:18am

It wasn't actually written FOR him.  As they went into casting, Kail made him decide which part he was going to play: Hamilton or Burr.  This account has appeared in a number if interviews.  He laughs about Burr/Odom getting the best songs, despite him having control over it.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 2:11pm

I saw Javi in October and thought he was wonderful. He's definitely a much stronger singer than Lin, and he acted the part really well. I don't think you can go wrong with either one, to be honest. They both bring different things to the table.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 4:24pm

dramamama611 said: "It wasn't actually written FOR him.  As they went into casting, Kail made him decide which part he was going to play: Hamilton or Burr.  This account has appeared in a number if interviews.  He laughs about Burr/Odom getting the best songs, despite him having control over it.

 

"

He made the right choice for the show. The role of Burr demands a great singer and I can't imagine his songs being nearly as powerful sung by Lin. The show is so lucky to have Odom in that role. 

[AndersonTours]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 4:48pm

I've seen the show with both. Javier Munoz, is better.
I have nothing but the highest respect for Lin Manuel Miranda. He wrote an amazing show.
But Javier Munoz is the better actor, singer and dancer. I thought the same in In the Heights. I was given a free ticket to see ITH again, having seen it first with Miranda. The second viewing with Munoz was a much better show. Much better. 
There is something terrific about seeing the author play his own show. But, IMHO, he should let Javier Munoz open the show and fill in for him. Then it would be a novelty and the show would be served best. 

[hannhannham]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 5:07pm

I saw ITH with Javi, and I think he was actually better suited to that role, though I love the cast recording with Lin. I saw Hamilton with Lin, and while there is no doubting Javi is a better singer in general, there's something Lin brings to the role of Hamilton that is really special. He completely embodies Hamilton, IMO. The eagerness in the first act and the sort of desperation in the second, it really worked well. That said, seeing Javi would probably be great, just different. I don't think you'd be missing out, especially since you can hear Lin as Hamilton on the recording. I think I am in the minority here, but I do prefer Lin as Hamilton.

[UrNotAMachine]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 5:11pm

I think the most interesting dynamic that LMM brings to the role is his personal similarities to Hamilton. This notion of someone who "writes like he's running out of time" played by someone who does just that adds another layer to the show and makes the theme of taking advantage of the present all the more relevant. 

Updated On: 2/7/16 at 05:11 PM

[gypsy101]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 7:45pm

I wouldn't agree that he writes like he's running out of time. His first two shows on Broadway both took over 5 years to write (ITH taking much longer). If anything he writes pretty leisurely.

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 7:51pm

SIDE NOTE: Odom for the Tony please??? Please??? Anyone??? Bueller???

[sorano916]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 8:44pm

Out of curiosity, since we're talking about Hamiltons... has anyone seen all three (Lin, Javi, Jon) and can comment on the differences of the three?

[mikem]

Posted: 2/7/16 at 9:58pm

Has Miranda said when he decided he was going to play Hamilton?  The skills that Hamilton needs (strong rapper, can get away with OK singing) are more tailored to his strengths than Burr, who really needs to be a strong singer.  I know Miranda's said that it took him a long time to decide which part he wanted to play, but I'm not sure if he was thinking about casting while still writing or not.

 

I also think that having the composer play the archnemesis would completely change the dynamic of the piece, and not in a good way.

Updated On: 2/7/16 at 09:58 PM

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 2/9/16 at 3:49am

In the first public reading of the show, Burr was played by Utkarsh Ambudkar, who is, like Miranda, a stronger rapper than singer. I don't know how much of the show was yet to be written at that time (they only performed Act I and a few excerpts from Act II), but it is indeed very possible at that time Miranda was still considering playing Burr himself. He made the right choice: the way Burr and Hamilton exist on the opposite ends of the hip-hop spectrum (Rap vs. R&B, I mean) underlines the central conflict between the two men rather beautifully and it would have been undermined if Burr was a more rap-heavy role. 

Frankly I find the debate over whether or not Lin has a good enough singing voice to do justice to this role kind of pointless. Hamilton doesn't do a tremendous amount of singing - about 2/3rd of his part is rapped rather than sung. What is sung is not particularly high or sustained. His actual melodic content is pretty limited. The first thing he has in the show that could really be called a siginificant amount of singing (as opposed to rapping) is "Dear Theodosia." And honestly, while Lin does not have a classically beautiful instrument, he uses what he's got extremely well. He acts with his voice. He has a fire as a performer that, frankly, is an ideal match for his character. Munoz is smoother, cockier. But Miranda is a livewire. 

 

I haven't seen Jon Rua but a report from a friend who did at the end of the month was that he reads (and sounds) a lot younger than either Javier or Lin. This worked really well in Act One, apparently, where Hamilton is a kid trying to prove himself, but it made his scenes with Philip a little harder to believe. 

[macnyc]

Posted: 2/9/16 at 6:37am

This all makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks for posting! 

[cascade]

Posted: 2/9/16 at 9:17am

I've seen Javi in the role twice, Lin three times.

Javi is not bad at all, but in my opinion he does not really fit the character. I don't buy him as the swaggering, scrappy, cocky spitfire Hamilton is supposed to be. His technical skill as a singer surpasses Lin's, but Lin brings a lot more passion and energy to the stage, and Lin's rapping is far superior, which is just as important as the singing when it comes to this show. The Jefferson/Hamilton rap battles for instance work much better because Lin can actually hold a candle to Daveed. I also think Lin is a better actor and way more emotive. When Javi is on, I've found myself paying a lot more attention to the other supporting performers.

[jessejaehoon]

Posted: 2/9/16 at 9:00pm

I've seen Javi twice, Lin-Manuel five. You can definitely tell they collaborated on the role, but it never feels like Javi is just copying Lin. Both excellent.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 2/10/16 at 1:10am

I can't compare them since I only just saw the show for the first time yesterday, but I thought Lin was excellent. No, he doesn't have a stunning singing voice, but he acquits himself fine in the rare moments where Hamilton needs to really sing. More than that, though, Lin has this incredible energy and fire in his performance. He's an absolute joy to watch, and very moving in the show's quieter moments- It's Quiet Uptown, in particular, was heart-wrenching. I'd love to see Javier, since I'm sure he does an excellent job as well- and more than anything I want to see it again!

Posted: 2/10/16 at 9:35am

quick note on Miranda's singing, when I went to see him I was expecting a mediocre singer and was surprised by how good it was. I wouldn't say he can out-sing "real" Broadway-level singers but I definitely thought any limitations were overstated. Of course it helps that he wrote the part so he could tailor it as he saw to fit to his abilities. There were definitely no parts where I thought "Miranda didn't do so good with that, a better singer would have done a better job".

Outside of that, I thought Miranda had the je ne sais quoi where it does feel special to watch him perform. I don't know if that came from me in knowing that he created the musical (i'd be interested to know how someone who did not know that Miranda wrote the musical views his performance) or from Miranda just having the charisma and confidence that you're drawn to watching him despite the talent surrounding him. My guess is it's both.

[hork]

Posted: 2/10/16 at 12:09pm

spidernight said: Outside of that, I thought Miranda had the je ne sais quoi where it does feel special to watch him perform. I don't know if that came from me in knowing that he created the musical (i'd be interested to know how someone who did not know that Miranda wrote the musical views his performance) or from Miranda just having the charisma and confidence that you're drawn to watching him despite the talent surrounding him. My guess is it's both.

 

I think it's both, as well. I didn't see him in Hamilton but I saw him in In the Heights, and I felt like both those factors were in play. Plus there was just something exhilarating about seeing him come out for the curtain call and knowing the standing ovation was for more than just his performance, it was for giving us the great show we'd just seen.

[Hellob]

Posted: 2/10/16 at 12:43pm

I think LMM has gotten stronger in the role since opening night but Javier makes you get why women are into him.