Review: “Hamilton” at the Kravis Center

It’s impossible to overstate the hype surrounding Lin-Manuel Miranda’s uber-successful Broadway musical on the life of Alexander Hamilton. In the years since its off-Broadway debut, “Hamilton” has become one of the most awarded productions in history, earning a Grammy, Pulitzer, and 11 Tonys for its warts-and-all depiction of the titular character and the rabble-rousing assembly of revolutionaries who would become the founding fathers of our country. The expectations for the Kravis Center’s production of “Hamilton” couldn’t be higher, but by the end of the opening number, it was clear these expectations would be met and exceeded.

The performance kicks off with the track “Alexander Hamilton,” where we are introduced to the “bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman” lead, played with tremendous force by Blaine Alden Krauss, whose energetic delivery of bombastic hooks, soulful melodies, speed raps and the occasional quip throughout the production had the crowd bobbing their heads, drying their eyes, and laughing in equal measure. 

In the opening number the crowd is also introduced to the rest of the cast, played, in the tradition of the original, with color-blind casting to drive home the message that we are a country of immigrants. With such incredible performances it’s hard to pick a single standout. Deon’te Goodman’s portrayal as Aaron Burr, Hamilton’s ambitious arch-frenemy, evoked equal parts sympathy and ire; Paul Lessard’s King George was a pompous, devious delight that earned laughs every time he took the stage to sing his admonishment of the fledgling colonies; Eliza Hamilton was played with heartbreaking beauty by Kendyl Yokoyama, whose vocals on “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” left much of the audience in tears; and Jared Howelton’s role as Marquis de Lafayette in part one and Thomas Jefferson in part two was full of flamboyant charisma and managed to steal just about every scene he was in.

The show came in at a whopping three hours, including the 15-minute intermission between acts, but no part of that time dragged by and the audience didn’t express the slightest bit of fatigue throughout the show’s 46 songs. Each track seemed to immediately engage the crowd, from the irresistible grooves of “The Room Where it Happened,” the back-and-forth verbal sparring of the rap battles over Hamilton’s establishment of a central bank, and the somber reflection of “The World Was Wide Enough.” The only criticism I could find was that at times some of the lyrics were a little hard to make out, but that didn’t appear to matter much to most of the crowd who seemed to have the lyrics committed to memory.

Overall, the Kravis Center’s production of “Hamilton” is every bit as triumphant as the original with its inspired performances, catchy tunes, and a message on what it means to be an American that will continue to resonate for years to come.

“Hamilton” runs from April 10-24 at the Kravis Center, for more information and to purchase tickets, click here.