HAMILTON Principal Cast Replacements

[ozjust4]

"Seth Stewart was just awful as Lafayette/Jefferson so let's hope he's taken out of that role ASAP."

I have to say that is French accent sucks....like a lot, but his Jefferson is much better than his Lafayette.
 

[somechrysanthemumtea]

When I saw the show on December 7th, Mandy was perfect - kept up with the orchestra, on pitch and delivered an emotional performance. 

Seth Stewart's entire Guns & Ships was indecipherable. His Jefferson was better - but not by that much. 

[neonlightsxo]

KingOPancakes said: "Also... is the lack of a Lafayette/Jefferson announcement driving anyone else as crazy as it is me?  I thought Seth Stewart was just covering the role until the end of the year?"

Clearly he's playing the role for longer.

[ChairinMain]

The criticisms leveled at Seth and Mandy on this form are not quite, perhaps, indicative of their performances but of just how hard the score is and just how good Renee and Daveed were in these roles. 

[4getmenot]

ChairinMain said: "The criticisms leveled at Seth and Mandy on this form are not quite, perhaps, indicative of their performances but of just how hard the score is and just how good Renee and Daveed were in these roles. 

 

"

I am not sure I agree.  I have a hard time imagining a world where you can't put professionally trained actors together with a dialect coach to come up with a French accent that would convince a lay-person.  In Seth Stewart's case, the accent was a really bad mix of non existent languages; it was quite distracting in terms of appreciating the overall show.

[RussT2]

BroadwayConcierge said: "Also, looks like Jevon McFerrin will be on for Hamilton on Friday the 6th. "

Javier will not be performing at the 8pm performance on January 6th?

This will be my and my boyfriend's first time seeing Hamilton and we really wanted to see Javier.

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Sorry to say, but that doesn't look likely, RussT2. It seems Javi is on vacation.

[ljay889]

ChairinMain said: "The criticisms leveled at Seth and Mandy on this form are not quite, perhaps, indicative of their performances but of just how hard the score is and just how good Renee and Daveed were in these roles. "

Mandy might not be as good with the rapping, but she could (and does) outsing Renee in the role. Renee has a lovely voice, but Mandy is a powerhouse vocalist. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

ljay889 said: "she could (and does) outsing Renee in the role."

I respectfully but wholeheartedly disagree with this. I can't identify a single element of Mandy's performance that was better than Renée's. 

Edit: I thought I was crazy when I saw it, but when Mandy entered the stage for "It's Quiet Uptown," I thought she had a slight smile on her face. It was so jarring and so bizarre, and so I thought maybe I just saw her wrong or something. But I had a friend who visited the show a few weeks ago who pointed out the very same thing (and I hadn't told her anything about my thoughts). I think there are a lot of strange choices in Mandy's performance and I really don't think she comes close to Renée's total powerhouse. Renée's "Satisfied" felt like a punch to the gut; Mandy's "Satisfied" felt like another song in the show.

[ljay889]

Mandy is an experienced and qualified singer and actress. If you have issues with certain aspects of her performance, take it up with the director. She wasn't just thrown on the stage and left to do whatever. I am sure you were too young to have seen her LIVE in Heights and Wicked, but she was perfectly cast and well directed in each show, and didn't receive the criticism that the Hamilton fanatics keep throwing at her. At the end of the day, Angelica isn't a very large role, one major song basically defines the part, and I think fans have trouble letting go of Renee's winning performance, but this always happens with early replacements in mega popular shows with a strong fan following, i.e: Rent, Wicked, etc. 

[KingOPancakes]

ljay889 said:
Mandy might not be as good with the rapping, but she could (and does) outsing Renee in the role. Renee has a lovely voice, but Mandy is a powerhouse vocalist. 

"

I had the pleasure of seeing Renee once and Mandy twice and I couldn't disagree more.  Renee's Angelica stood out while Mandy's vocals cause Angelica to blend into the background.

[Alexander Lamar]

Well I saw Mandy in In The Heights and Wicked as well. She was FANTASTIC in ITH, probably my favorite part of the cast. I felt her Elphaba was meh, and as I've reflected further on her Angelica, I still didn't enjoy her. Her rapping wasn't good and the tone of her voice wasn't pleasant to my ears. But that's my opinion, not facts. 

[adamgreer]

I haven't seen Mandy in Hamilton, so I won't comment on her performance in the show.  However, anyone who thinks Renee Elise Goldsberry (who was wonderful in The Color Purple, didn't see her in Hamilton) is a better singer than Mandy Gonzalez needs to get their head examined.  Goldsberry is a great actress, but her voice is nowhere near as good as Mandy's. 

[neonlightsxo]

ljay889 said: "Mandy is an experienced and qualified singer and actress. If you have issues with certain aspects of her performance, take it up with the director. She wasn't just thrown on the stage and left to do whatever. I am sure you were too young to have seen her LIVE in Heights and Wicked, but she was perfectly cast and well directed in each show, and didn't receive the criticism that the Hamilton fanatics keep throwing at her. At the end of the day, Angelica isn't a very large role, one major song basically defines the part, and I think fans have trouble letting go of Renee's winning performance, but this always happens with early replacements in mega popular shows with a strong fan following, i.e: Rent, Wicked, etc. "

 

I'm with you on this. But this is what happens when shows get a young fandom...

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

adamgreer said: "I haven't seen Mandy in Hamilton, so"

The proper way to finish that sentence is "my two cents on this otherwise-educated conversation aren't valid."

[ljay889]

Adamgreer said nothing about her performance in Hamilton. It seems that some want to discredit Mandy's talent for whatever reason, and it appears it's from the tween crowd who were not lucky enough to have seen her in prior shows, which Adamgreer has. 

[neonlightsxo]

BroadwayConcierge, how convenient that you ignored the second half of the sentence: "I haven't seen Mandy in Hamilton, so I won't comment on her performance in the show. "

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

I'm not trying to discredit Mandy's talent at all! I think she's a sensational singer who clearly has tremendous acting skills. I just don't think Angelica is a role that highlights them all that well for her.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

I can't speak to Mandy Gonzalez's performance. But Ljay is right in that she is a great vocalist and a great actress. Having seen Karen Olivo a couple of weeks ago, I can say I don't think anyone will be able to rap the role like Goldsberry but then again no one will be able to rap like Miranda or Odom. People have to let go of that and appreciate the performances on their own. So Olivo could not rap with the seamlessness that characterized Goldsberry's take on the role, but she delivered an intense, beautifully acted take on Angelica. Her voice was incredible and her acting reminded us all why she is a Tony winner and why she is so sorely missed on Broafway. The point being is time to let go of tbe OBCR and start taking in these new performers on their own without unmerited comparisons. I hope I get to see Gonzalez as Angelica, she's one of the best musical theatre actresses working today.

[adamgreer]

neonlightsxo said: "BroadwayConcierge, how convenient that you ignored the second half of the sentence: "I haven't seen Mandy in Hamilton, so I won't comment on her performance in the show. "

 

 

Reading comprehension has never been his strong suit.  

I have no idea how good or bad she is in Hamilton.  I'm simply saying that there's little doubt she's a better singer than Renee Elise Goldsberry, who I'm not discrediting either- she's a wonderful actress, and she may well act the role better than Gonzalez.  I just find it funny that people are making Mandy out to be some low rent, non-singing performer they found on the streets. 

[RussT2]

BroadwayConcierge said: "Sorry to say, but that doesn't look likely, RussT2. It seems Javi is on vacation."

 

I can't seem to find any reviews of McFerrin's performance in the show. Does anyone have an opinion on his take as Alexander Hamilton?

 

[neonlightsxo]

I don't think he's been on for Hamilton yet, so you'll be the first.

[BroadwayConcierge]

The whole point of this conversation is for people who have seen Mandy Gonzalez as Angelica Schuyler to comment on her performance. To compare Goldsberry's vocal performance in a show she was in 11 years ago to somebody else's performance that one hasn't even seen yet means you aren't actually contributing anything valuable to the conversation. 

adamgreer said: "I just find it funny that people are making Mandy out to be some low rent, non-singing performer they found on the streets."

Also, who has done this...?

[adamgreer]

BroadwayConcierge said: "The whole point of this conversation is for people who have seen Mandy Gonzalez as Angelica Schuyler to comment on her performance. To compare Goldsberry's vocal performance in a show she was in 11 years ago to somebody else's performance that one hasn't even seen yet means you aren't actually contributing anything valuable to the conversation. 

adamgreer said: "I just find it funny that people are making Mandy out to be some low rent, non-singing performer they found on the streets."

Also, who has done this...?

 

You've never contributed anything of value to this board, well, ever. So there's that. 

My gosh, the Hamilton Kids are a defensive lot, aren't they? 

[neonlightsxo]

Yeah.

[Auggie27]

Friends in Chicago are commenting to me on their surprise at how relatively little stage time Angelica has (notice I did not say "how small the role is."  People who've listened to the album extensively -- even knowing it's sung-through -- have this idea there are longer Angelica-Alexander scene in the show's performance.  It's a shock to them that Angelica has relative little to do after "Satisfied."  It's one reason why Rene's performance of that song defined the character, and for many, was a cornerstone of the piece itself.  If either of the current Angelicas (Chicago or B'way) don't land the number with the same force, the role itself feels diminished.

I've often wondered why Miranda didn't give Angelica more narrative material to sing.  She's a good person to comment on Hamilton.  The place I notice it: the opening number (and I saw the show in October 2015).  Angelia has no solo verses in "Alexander Hamilton," to my surprise in the theater, even after spending a week with the downloaded music (just out, back then).  It's not a criticism, but he could've employed her more fully and given her slightly more to do, considering how extensive their correspondence was.