On July 15, 150 Hamiltonians enjoyed Lin Manuel-Miranda’s new musical HAMILTON, which was inspired by Ron Chernow’s biography of the show’s namesake. Connie Wilkin P’14, ’16 arranged a talkback following the performance with the show’s producer Jeffrey Seller and assistant company manager Kaitlin Fine. The cast members who spoke to the group included King George (Jonathan Groff), George Washington (Christopher Jackson), Angelica Schuyler (Renee Elise Goldsberry), Thomas Jefferson/Marquis de Lafayette (Daveed Diggs), James Madison (Okieriete Onaodowan) and Alexander Hamilton (Lin Manuel Miranda).
Michael Breslin ’13, a theatre major, immensely enjoyed the production, saying, “The show is astonishing - a seminal achievement in American musical theatre history. Lin Manuel-Miranda uses a traditional model of the American musical to create a completely contemporary and pulsating work. The show is so intensely American, an explosion of our nation's theatrical and popular history.” Another Hamiltonian attendee was Alison McLaughlin ’11. “The show does Alexander Hamilton proud,” says McLaughlin, “and those of us who saw it now know (if we didn't already) how important his legacy was to him! The show humanizes him while it celebrates him. It shows his brilliance and his faults. It's reassuring. You don't have to be perfect to fulfill your dream. You do have to do. So go do. Admit your mistakes. Make better.... Also, I've been singing and humming the music to myself all week!”
During the talkback, the Hamilton College community was given the chance to discuss HAMILTON with its cast and crew. “I was impressed by how many members of the cast generously gave their time to meet with us after the show,” says McLaughlin, “and by how earnestly they all shared about their passion for the piece and gratefulness to be part of it. It seems clear that this piece marks a special moment in the lives and careers of all who have come together to make it happen—the kind of experience you live for as a professional theatermaker. A powerful group of artists have come together to tell a powerful story, and it's changing and inspiring the world.”
