Review: HAMILTON at The Overture Center

There have been a million reviews of Hamilton, so you may wonder what could I possibly add? I wondered the same thing. Even as I write this I wonder, there is no real insight here. Everything you have read is true. "It's amazing!" "5 Stars!!" "Brilliantly written and stage!" All the things. Yes, it lives up to its hype.

Attending a sold-out show at the Overture Center is an excellent way to have a shared experience with roughly 2200 people. The energy in the theater was palpable, and one could not hope for a better experience. From the initial excitement of anticipation in the air pre-show, to the misty-eyed exit of patrons, the entire evening was idyllic.

Edred Utomi portrayed Alexander Hamilton with vigor and poise. Josh Tower's play on Aaron Burr was done with just the right amount of emotion to make us understand who he was and why he did all that he did. Lastly,Rockford IL. native, Zoe Jensen's take on Eliza Hamilton's struggles touched the hearts of those fortunate enough to see the performance.

The actors that stood out for me were not these actors. No, I expect nothing short of perfection from these roles, it's the "smaller" roles that make up the performance. And by smaller, I mean not the stars, but their support, for none of the roles in this wonderful music are small! The Ensemble for instance was incredibly precise and the direction they were given (for even the director plays a role in all of this) was amazing. The tableaus they built were artistically beautiful and meaningful to the advancement of the story.

Bryson Bruce, playing the dual roles of Marquis de Lafayette AND Thomas Jefferson was nothing short of amazing. To play two completely different characters with such distinct differences has got to be very difficult. As he descended the stairs in his role as Thomas Jefferson, like some sort of cross between Prince and Morris Day, with his burgundy long coat flowing, l failed to recognize him as the same actor I had seen in previous acts.

Paul Oakley Stovall as George Washington commanded the stage as soon as he set foot on it and spoke with such presence that his words were almost suspended above the verse and rhyme of the book and given greater meaning.

And rounding out the actors that stood out for me, Peter Matthew Smith as King George. Yes, King George is one of the most popular characters in the show, but this King George seemed a bit angrier, edgier than I had seen in the past. Less, pouty, and self-piteous. A fine take on the old king.

One of the many great things about this show was the way they used time to keep the audience reminded of what had transpired, sometime revisiting the past to remind us of what had happened and how those events affect the present.

The bottom line is to get out and see this show, if you still can, don't "throw away" your shot

 

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