Review: HAMILTON at Robinson Center in Little Rock

There are Broadway musicals, and then there is Hamilton. Even more than a decade after Lin-Manuel Miranda’s revolutionary musical became a cultural phenomenon, there is still something incredibly exciting about hearing those opening notes and watching Alexander Hamilton step forward as the company asks the question we already know the answer to: “What’s your name, man?”

Thanks to Deana McCormick and the wonderful folks at Celebrity Attractions, Central Arkansas audiences once again have the opportunity to experience one of the biggest theatrical productions of our generation without leaving Little Rock. Hamilton has taken over Robinson Center for a limited engagement through Sunday, August 30, and Arkansas theatre lovers are definitely not throwing away their shot to see it.

 Based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton follows the ambitious immigrant from his arrival in New York through the American Revolution, his rise within George Washington’s inner circle, his complicated personal life, his political battles with Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, and ultimately the duel that ends his life. Miranda tells that history through a thrilling mixture of hip-hop, rap, R&B, jazz, and traditional musical theatre, transforming names we learned in history class into complicated, passionate, and often very messy human beings.

Of course, Hamilton has accumulated quite the résumé since taking Broadway by storm. With book, music, and lyrics by Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, the musical earned 11 Tony Awards as well as a Grammy Award, Olivier Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

 And yet, no matter how many times you have listened to the cast recording or watched the filmed Broadway production, Hamilton is a completely different animal when you experience it live.

The touring company currently visiting Little Rock is loaded with talent. Tyler Fauntleroy leads the revolution as Alexander Hamilton, with Deon’te Goodman as Aaron Burr, Marja Harmon as Angelica Schuyler, Lila Soto as Eliza Schuyler, Auston Henderson as George Washington, Christian Magby as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Eddie Ortega as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, León Tak as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton, Nadina Hassan as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, and Matt Bittner as King George III.

 Fauntleroy has the enormous task of taking on one of modern musical theatre’s most recognizable roles, and he commands the stage with the confidence and relentless drive the character requires. Hamilton rarely seems capable of standing still (physically or intellectually) and Fauntleroy captures that hunger to accomplish something great before time runs out. Whether he is the young revolutionary determined to make his mark or the older Hamilton watching his personal and political decisions come crashing down around him, Fauntleroy keeps the audience invested in the man behind the legend.

Opposite him, Goodman’s Burr provides the perfect counterweight. Hamilton charges forward while Burr calculates. Hamilton speaks before thinking while Burr waits for the right opportunity. That tension drives the entire musical, and Goodman allows the frustration to build until “The Room Where It Happens,” when Burr finally unleashes everything he has been holding back. It remains one of the show’s great theatrical numbers, and seeing the choreography explode across the Robinson Center stage is exhilarating.

 The Schuyler sisters bring another dimension to the story, with Harmon as Angelica and Sierra Lai Barnett stepping into the role of Eliza Hamilton for the performance I attended. Lily Soto normally plays Eliza on the North American tour, but Barnett, one of the production’s swings, took on the role at Robinson Center and gave me absolutely no reason to feel like I was missing anything. Barnett beautifully takes Eliza from the giddy young woman falling completely in love with Hamilton to the wife who must endure the consequences of his ambition, infidelity, and relentless determination to control his legacy. And then there is “Burn.” This is Eliza’s moment, and Barnett makes it count. After spending so much of the musical supporting Hamilton and his ambitions, Eliza finally takes control of her own story, and Barnett brings both vulnerability and strength to the number. The people sitting beside me said you wouldn't have guessed that she was a swing. She did a wonderful job.

Then there is King George III, who may have considerably less stage time than many of the other characters but knows exactly how to make the most of every second. Bittner gleefully embraces the delicious absurdity of “You’ll Be Back,” giving the audience a wonderfully ridiculous break from revolution, political maneuvering, and heartbreak. There is something about King George slowly making his way onto that stage that immediately gets a reaction from a Hamilton audience.

 And speaking of reactions, I had almost as much fun watching the teenager sitting next to me as I did watching some of the action onstage. She clearly had starry-heart eyes throughout the entire performance, and I absolutely loved her enthusiasm. When King George appeared and she screamed out that she loved him, I couldn’t help but laugh. That kind of unfiltered excitement is one of my favorite things about live theatre. Hamilton has been a phenomenon for more than a decade, yet here was a young fan completely caught up in every moment, reminding me that a great musical can continue finding enthusiastic new audiences generation after generation.

One of my favorite elements of Hamilton continues to be the double casting. Watching Lafayette transform into Jefferson or Laurens become Philip Hamilton is not merely clever casting, it helps connect generations of the story. Christian Magby particularly gets to have fun with the enormous contrast between Lafayette and Jefferson. After intermission, when Magby makes his grand entrance as Jefferson for “What’d I Miss,” the crowd went absolutely nuts! You could feel the energy in Robinson Center shoot up as he strutted onto the stage with a completely different swagger from the Lafayette we had watched in Act I. Magby clearly knows how to work that entrance, and the audience was more than ready to welcome him. 

 And then there is the ensemble. They are everywhere, and they are phenomenal.

The ensemble is the pulse of Hamilton, constantly moving the story forward through Blankenbuehler’s intricate choreography. They become soldiers, citizens, partygoers, politicians, and storytellers, sometimes manipulating furniture and props and sometimes simply using movement to direct our eyes exactly where they need to go. Even when the principal characters command center stage, there is often another layer of storytelling happening around them. It is worth occasionally pulling your eyes away from the leads just to appreciate everything the ensemble is doing.

And I have to give major praise to the orchestra, led by Conductor Emmanuel Schvartzman, with Austin Deadman serving as Associate Music Director, because they were amazingly perfect. Musically, I heard no difference between listening to the score on a recording and hearing it performed live; the precision was that impressive. But live, the orchestra adds something a recording simply cannot duplicate. They make an already massive show somehow feel even bigger.

 The music surrounds the action, drives the energy, heightens the emotion, and gives those familiar songs an extra punch that you can feel throughout Robinson Center. With a score that moves as quickly and demands as much stylistic versatility as Hamilton, Schvartzman, Deadman, and the entire orchestra deserve tremendous applause for the incredible musicianship they bring to this production.

The physical production remains stunning in its deceptive simplicity. David Korins’ towering wooden scenic design immediately transports the audience into Hamilton’s world, while the famous turntable becomes an essential storytelling device rather than merely a theatrical trick. Howell Binkley’s lighting design shapes the emotional temperature of each scene, and Paul Tazewell’s costumes beautifully combine period influences with the contemporary energy that defines the musical.

 As we were leaving, my friend summed up the quality of this production perfectly when he said he couldn’t imagine seeing Hamilton on Broadway and it being any better than what we had just watched at Robinson Center. I have to agree. This company delivers the kind of performance that makes you forget you are watching a touring production. The talent, musicianship, choreography, technical elements, and sheer energy are Broadway caliber from beginning to end.

Hamilton has been called revolutionary so many times that the word almost seems obligatory when discussing it, but experiencing the music, movement, humor, heartbreak, and storytelling live reminds you exactly why that description stuck in the first place. History may have its eyes on Alexander Hamilton, but through August 30, Little Rock’s eyes are firmly on the Robinson Center stage. And if you have been waiting for your shot to see Hamilton live, don’t throw it away. For more information, visit Celebrity Attractions website at celebrityattractions.com. 

 US Tour Cast

Alexander Hamilton
Tyler Fauntleroy

Aaron Burr
Deon’te Goodman

Angelica Schuyler
Marja Harmon

Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds
Nadina Hassan

George Washington
Auston Henderson

King George III
Matt Bittner

Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson
Christian Magby

Hercules Mulligan/James Madison
Eddie Ortega

Eliza Hamilton
Lily Soto

John Laurens/Philip Hamilton
León Tak

Ensemble: Miriam Ali, Jack Bianchi, Alyssa Carol, Jasmine Clark, Alex Dorf, Hayley Dorling, Andre Malcolm, Tyler McKenzie, Aisha Sougou, Oscar Whitney, Jr.

Swing/Dance Captain
Lexi Garcia-Toye, Kevin Murakami

Swing: Sierra Lai Barnett, Taylor Broadard, Terrance Martin, Daniel Thimm, Wesley Valdez

Standby: Elvie Ellis, Amanda Simone Lee, Michael Natt, Tevae Vontrell Shoels

 Creative Team

Book, Music, & Lyrics
Lin-Manuel Miranda

Director
Thomas Kail

Choreographer
Andy Blankenbuehler

Orchestrations / Co-Arranger
Alex Lacamoire

Author of the book “Alexander Hamilton”
Ron Chernow

Scenic Design
David Korins

Costume Design
Paul Tazewell

Lighting Design
Howell Binkley

Sound Design
Nevin Steinberg

Hair and Wig Design
Charles G. LaPointe

Music Coordinators
Michael Keller and Michael Aarons

Music Director/Conductor
Emmanuel Schvartzman

Synthesizer & Drum Programmer
Randy Cohen

Associate Music Supervisor
Matt Gallagher

Technical Supervision
Hudson Theatrical Associates

Associate & Supervising Director
Patrick Vassel

Resident Director
Ashley Brooke Monroe

Associate & Supervising Choreographer
Stephanie Klemons

Supervising Choreographer
Michael Mindlin

Executive Producer
Maggie Brohn

Production Supervisor
J. Philip Bassett

Production Supervisor
Amber White

Production Stage Manager
Eric H. Mayer

Assistant Stage Manager
Anthony CeFala

Assistant Stage Manager
Hollis Duggans-Queenss

Casting
The Telsey Office
Bethany Knox, CSA

Marketing & Communications
Laura Matalon

Marketing & Communications
John Gilmour, Gabriella Godinez

Company Manager
Jason Pelusio

Associate Company Manager
Ariana Garcia

Tour Booking Agency
The Booking Group

General Management
Baseline Theatrical

Producer
Jeffrey Seller

Producer
Sander Jacobs

Producer
Jill Furman

Producer
The Public Theater

 ORCHESTRA

Conductor/Keyboard 1
Emmanuel Schvartzman

Associate Music Director/Keyboard 2
Austin Deadman

Drums
Jeffrey Roberts

Percussion
Tommy Hartman

Bass
Crissy Martinez

Concertmaster/Violin 1
Jessica Wiersma

Guitar
Schuyler McFadden

Violin 2
Sage West

Violin/Viola
Leslie DeShazor

Cello
Magalí Toy

Music Associate
Randy Deadman

Ableton Programmer
Scott Wasserman

Synthesizer and Drum Programming
Randy Cohen

 CREW

Associate Scenic Designer
Rod Lemmond

Associate Costume Designer
Angela Kahler

Assistant Costume Designers
Jen Raskopf, Kim Sorenson, Kara Branch

Associate Lighting Designer
Ryan O’Gara

Assistant Lighting Designer
Joel Britt

Light Programmer
David Arch

Howell Binkley Fellow
Jessica Drayton

Associate Sound Designer
Jason Crystal

Assistant Sound Designer
Connor Wang

Production Hair Supervisor/Associate Wig and Hair Designer
Rachael Geier

Production Manager
Bridget Van Dyke

Production Carpenter
Andrew Sullivan

Advance Carpenters
Corey Krolikowski, Otis Renegar, Jeffrey Sharratt, John Wilson

Move Carpenter
Tony Ball

Load Out Carpenter
Nellie Sanderson

Truck Czar
Jamie Allspaugh

Head Carpenter
Alden Corey

Automation/Assistant Carpenter
Steven Ball

Production Electrician
James J. Fedigan

Associate Production Electrician
Christopher Robinson

Advance Electricians
Trevor Maynard, Apon Nichols

Load Out Electrician
Jessica Kohn

Head Electrician
Jeff “Swing” Holtz

Lead Spot
Rachel Juozapaitis

Swing Electrician
Ann Roche

Production Props Supervisor
Denise J. Grillo

Head Props
Mike Eickmeyer

Assistant Props
Andrew Iverson

Production Sound
Nick Borisjuk

Advance Sound
Chad Parsley, Eric Ramsquist

Load Out Sound
Kelly Schmidt

Head Sound Engineer
Jason DeJardin

Assistant Sound
Joshua Boatman

Production Wardobe Supervisor
Scott Westervelt

Advance Wardrobe
Lizz Hirons

Wardrobe Supervisor
Michelle Cross

Assistant Wardrobe
Amber Davis

Production Stitcher
Christine Barringer-King

Hair Supervisor
Kelly Flanagan

Hair Supervisor
Camille White

Crew Swing
Kellie DeJardin

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