Review: ‘Hamilton’ at the Academy of Music

There’s something so reliable about a Hamilton production: The music is exquisite, the costumes are wonderfully elaborate, the choreography always stuns. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s dense, rapid story still serves as a history lesson packed into an emotional roller-coaster with performers delivering impressive feats of athleticism.

Nearly a decade on stages, the once-groundbreaking musical about the overlooked (but not anymore) founding father and immigrant Alexander Hamilton has become a global brand, from exhibits to books to a Disney+ film. While tickets have become easier to score since the musical’s early years, houses are usually packed.

The touring production running at the Academy of Music through Nov. 23 exemplifies this well-oiled machine. The cast stepped into their roles in August, but there’s an ownership in these voices that you can feel from almost every actor, a comfort with the material that only comes after a Broadway musical becomes a household name.

The layered harmonies of sisters Angelica Schuyler (Marja Harmon), Eliza Hamilton (Lauren Mariasoosay), and Peggy Schuyler (Lily Soto) hit perfectly as the fast raps from Alexander Hamilton (Tyler Fauntleroy) and his crew, the Marquis de Lafayette (Jared Howelton), Hercules Mulligan (Colby Lewis), and John Laurens (Nathan Haydel), landed with precision.

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Yet on the night I went, the reliability and comfort of the sharply honed sound occasionally lacked the luster of previous productions; perhaps a sign of shyness from the newer cast members. Fauntleroy and Mariasoosay employed especially pretty voices — their duet in “It’s Quiet Uptown” was a tearjerker — but at times their delivery missed a fiery depth.

Aaron Burr (Jimmie “JJ” Jeter), the role first played by Philadelphia’s own Leslie Odom Jr., had a slightly uneven journey, starting somewhat monotonously before warming up to rousing renditions of “Dear Theodosia” and “The Room Where It Happened.” Jeter, however, remained unwavering when he faced a shaky spotlight in one scene, keeping focused while the lighting distracted.

The challenge for any principal cast member, of course, lies in making the character their own while staying true to the sound that the audience has come to expect.

To that end, George Washington (A.D. Weaver) was a sublime example. Weaver’s operatic, majestic voice brought an undeniably fresh energy to the iconic president that had the audience rooting for him, even clapping mid-song when he belted “Alexaaaaander” in “One Last Time.”

His excellence raised the bar for his cast members every time he graced the stage. (The other George, the King of England played by Justin Matthew Sargent, enhanced his role, too, with well-timed comedic sass.)

That’s what brings audiences back — to see the classic and familiar musical pushed even further by new talent. Hamilton may no longer be novel, but it certainly isn’t overrated.

Hamilton

Through Nov. 23 at the Academy of Music, Center City; ensembleartsphilly.org. Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes.

Theater reviews are produced independently by The Inquirer without editorial input by their sponsor, Visit Philadelphia.