On Broadway- Hamilton

The hottest ticket in entertainment is Broadway's Hamilton. Created by writer/director/composer/actor/genius (yes, he won a McArthur Genius Grant so he is an actual genius) Lin-Manuel Miranda, who won a Tony for Best Musical for his In the Heights, it is the most creative, amazing piece of theater I've ever seen.

Miranda read historian Ron Chernow's biography Hamilton while on vacation and thought that it would make a great hip-hop Broadway musical. Some people may have thought he had sunstroke, but his creative mind set to work and the result is a brilliant show that is sure to sweep this year's Tony awards. and go down in history as a game-changer in theater.

Miranda brings to vivid life the historical people most of us barely know much about at the time of the American Revolution. Alexander Hamilton was an intelligent, ambitious young orphan from the Caribbean island of Nevis when he came to America.

He graduated from King's College in New York and became a lawyer. But he was passionate about the coming revolution and after writing many pamphlets and tracts encouraging revolution, he became General George Washington's right-hand man and eventual first Secretary of the Treasury.

In addition to his many accomplishments, we see Hamilton's personal life. He married Eliza Schuyler, the daughter of a wealthy, prominent man, and he had a close relationship with her sister Angelica.

The story is narrated by his frenemy Aaron Burr, whom we know eventually killed Hamilton in a duel.

The cast is amazing, from Miranda as Hamilton to Leslie Odom Jr. as Burr. (He has a stunning voice.) Angelica is portrayed by a luminescent Renee Elise Goldsberry, who captures the stage whenever she is on it. Phillipa Soo stands out as Hamilton's loyal wife Eliza.

Christopher Jackson plays George Washington as we know him- a large presence and a strong leader who depended on Hamilton and at the same time called him out when Hamilton needed it. Daveed Diggs is fantastic as both LaFayette and has a memorable turn as a Thomas Jefferson who is not as stuffy here as history books make him out to be.

Jonathan Groff should order his tux now for the Tonys as his performance as a petulant King George II brought down the house in each of his four short scenes. He is a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actor and is sure to be up against many of his co-stars.

I'd call Hamilton a hip-hop opera, as it feels like it could be at home at the Met. The subject matter is operatic, and this may well be the future of opera. The show is mostly sung, and the lyrics, using phrases we remember from history class, are ingenious. The performers in this show get quite a vocal workout. (Owning the soundtrack is a must so you can truly appreciate the words. Oh, those words.)

The choreography, costumes and staging perfectly complement this groundbreaking show. Tickets are extremely hard to come by (they are putting a new set of tickets on sale next week for November 2016- January 2017) but I cannot tell you much I loved this show. I loved history class in high school, and Miranda and company bring it to new, exciting, accessible life in Hamilton. If you see only one show on Broadway, this is the one to see.

The website for Hamilton is here.
For more Hamilton fun, check out #Ham4Ham videos posted on YouTube.

Good People on Broadway

Good People, a play with a limited run on Broadway ending May 29th, has not gotten the hype of some of the other shows that recently opened, yet I found it to be the strongest of the plays I have seen recently.

Frances McDormand brilliantly plays Margie, a single mother with a developmentally disabled adult daughter to care for. She works minimum wage jobs in South Boston, and lives in a crummy apartment. For entertainment, she plays bingo with her friend and her landlady.

With no one to care for her daughter, she is frequently late for work, and when her understanding boss (Patrick Carroll)  is forced to fire her, she doesn't know what to do. Her high school friend, played by Becky Ann Baker, suggests that she contact her high school boyfriend who is now a successful doctor. She even suggest that maybe Margie claim that he is the father of her daughter, which Margie rejects.

Margie goes to see Dr. Mike, (Tate Donovan in a fantastic performance) after he does not return her phone calls. She shows up at his office and asks him if he has a job for her. Mike senses her desperation, but he says he has nothing available. He is  uncomfortable at being reminded of where he came from, but
he bristles when Margie suggest the same.

Margie finds out about a party Mike's wife is throwing for him and their home, and she dares Mike to invite her. He reluctantly does so.

Renee Elise Goldsberry plays Mike's younger, African-American wife Kate. It's not easy to shine when you are playing opposite the tremendous McDormand, but Goldsberry is terrific. When Margie shows up at the party after it was cancelled, Kate invites her to stay. That is when the play gets really interesting. The interaction among these three strong actors is fascinating; the scene crackles with tension. Kudos to writer David Lindsay-Abaire for this, and Daniel Sullivan for the tight direction.

Goldsberry, Donovan and McDormand all deserve Tony nominations for this show, and the great Estelle Parsons does her usual wonderful work as the landlady. The themes of race, class, and sacrifice are examined and the ending has a surprising twist, one that will have people debating which side they are on and what other good people would do in the same situation. It is the best new play of the season.