'Hamilton' Finally Comes to London

Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to go to the second preview of Hamilton which officially opened at the Victoria Palace theatre in London on 21 December. I had wanted to see Hamilton live since I first heard the soundtrack of the original Broadway cast a year and a half ago. I had never heard anything like it. The idea seemed strange — a hip hop musical about the founding father Alexander Hamilton — and yet it worked so well. It was innovative, daring, and brilliant. Every song was so strong and I longed to see it performed live on stage.

When I heard it was coming to London and Cameron Macintosh was going to have it open the newly refurbished Victoria Palace theatre (replacing Billy Elliot) I made sure I got tickets, and it definitely softened the blow of Billy Elliot closing, which used to be my favorite musical. I was nervous about seeing the show with a new cast; I was so used to the original Broadway cast and I associated their voices to the characters. But I have seen shows of other musicals after hearing the soundtrack with a different cast. It is possible to adapt and I knew the London cast would be just as flawless and interpret the characters in their own way. And that's okay — in fact it was more than okay. It was really exciting.

I don't think it took to the end of the opening song Alexander Hamilton for my concerns to be lifted. The cast were outstanding. I couldn't believe it was only the second time they were performing to an audience. It felt like they had been performing it for years. They were polished and gave it 100 percent. They were different to the original Broadway cast, sure, but it was interesting to see it done differently and I think seeing other people play the characters made the experience richer. This is my original cast. A young, energetic, incredibly talented group of people who did not miss a beat. I have never seen a preview performance that tight before. The staging was slick and it filled my heart with happiness to see a show put to life on stage, that I had listened to over and over for a year. Hamilton was happening. It was being performed in the same room as me. I was in the room where it happened.

My stand out moments (spoilers ahead!) :

• Helpless/Satisfied - The rewind from the wedding to the night the Schuyler Sisters met Hamilton for the first time is cleverly done and the ache of Angelica's regret of what could have been is poignant. Angelica putting her sister's happiness first ends up unintentionally making her unsatisfied her entire life, longing for Alexander.
• Guns and Ships - "Everyone give it up for America's favorite fighting Frenchman - LAFAYETTE!"- Jason Pennycooke jumping off a table and fast rapping stood out for me as a favorite moment of the show. He definitely holds up to the high bar set by Daveed Diggs, who originated the character.
• "Immigrants... we get the job done" - This line, said to a high five between Lafayette and Hamilton before the Battle of Yorktown, is the essence of the show: An immigrant (Hamilton) coming to America and working ten times as hard as anyone else to prove himself in a world that sees him as less than equal. Hamilton is notably political, the casting is political (all the main cast are played by people of colour) and in a climate of xenophobia, it is significant for "Immigrants...we get the job done" to get an audience cheer every night and demonstrates that Hamilton is making history.
• King George - Pretty much every moment he was on stage. He's hilariously sassy and I love that you can relate his disapproval of the Americans gaining independence to Brexit...
• Rachelle Ann Go as Eliza Hamilton - My favorite character is Alexander Hamilton's kind, strong, courageous wife Eliza. She longs to be enough for Alexander and when he breaks her heart, she writes herself out of their narrative, taking ownership of her pain and not letting the story be written about her without her control. Go's rendition of Burn is angry and powerful, impressive for a second preview show and shows intelligence and early character awareness. Her scream when her son Phillip takes his last breath is chilling and made me cry instantly. I first saw Go perform in Miss Saigon in London as Gigi and she stood out for me then. I'm so pleased she got the part of Eliza.
• Who lives, Who dies, Who tells your story - The finale. I always tear up listening to this song so hearing it live was obviously going to make me cry buckets. Hearing Eliza reveal she wrote herself back in the narrative and kept Alexander's legacy is beautiful. She went through his endless writings, she spoke out against slavery, and she opened the first private orphanage in New York — which is particularly poignant with Alexander having been an orphan. I also like how the show ends with her as she is the reason the musical exists. She made sure people wouldn't forget her husband. And over two hundred years since he died, Alexander Hamilton is being talked about all over again.