'Hamilton' at the Fox Cities PAC still worth the hype, with outstanding performers and riveting visual spectacle
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APPLETON – The megahit musical "Hamilton" has returned to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center as powerful as ever.
Since its debut on Broadway in 2015, "Hamilton" has made its way from a novelty of the theater world to a part of mainstream culture. The show has three companies currently touring the United States, in addition to the ongoing Broadway show and multiple international productions. It has a PBS documentary and a filmed original Broadway cast production on Disney+. The musical's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, has been launched into A-list fame and has since been a part of high-profile Hollywood projects.
"Hamilton" first went on tour in 2017 and reached Appleton in 2019, during which every night of the three-week engagement sold out, a record for the PAC. But the show is far from old news; there was palpable excitement in the air at Wednesday night's performance, and the audience remained enthralled throughout the show.
For the uninitiated, "Hamilton" tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, the country's founding father on the $10 bill, who came to the U.S. colonies as a poor, orphaned teenager from the Caribbean and quickly climbed the ranks from an earnest student to a war hero, an ambitious lawyer, the nation's first secretary of the treasury and an influential part of forming the United States. The musical is narrated by Aaron Burr, Hamilton's sometimes friend-sometimes enemy, who is ultimately the cause of Hamilton's demise, at a duel spurred by political frustrations.
From the first beats of the opening song, "Hamilton" immediately makes it clear to the audience that the two-and-a-half hour show is a spectacle, with dynamic choreography, goosebump-inducing harmonies and intense, passionate lyrics.
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Pierre Jean Gonzalez, who plays Hamilton, is a force to be reckoned with. His fast-paced rapping and inflection was reminiscent of Miranda — who not only created "Hamilton" but also originated the role of the titular character — while also bringing his own unique personality to the role. Gonzalez was captivating and easy to root for, even through Hamilton's faults.
Blaine Alden Krauss is more reserved as Hamilton's adversary. Burr is the antithesis of Hamilton; while the latter is opinionated, unapologetic, and endlessly motivated, Burr holds his cards close to his chest, often reminding Hamilton to "talk less, smile more." Krauss exemplified the cautious, composed politician, but unleashes Burr's growing frustrations with Hamilton through powerful, emotional vocals in songs like "Wait for It" and "The Room Where It Happens."
The cast is chock-full of talent, but among the standouts were Lencia Kebede and Nikisha Williams, who play sisters Angelica Schuyler and Eliza Hamilton, respectively. The two sisters are closely interwoven in Hamilton's life: Angelica introduces Hamilton to Eliza, whom he marries, while Angelica continues to be a trusted confidant for advice through letters the pair write; and Eliza creates a family with Hamilton and goes on to share his legacy.
Kebede has a powerful belt, with impressive vocal runs shown off in "The Schuyler Sisters" and "Satisfied," and a command of the stage that draw attention to her in emotional moments.
Williams' softer, gentle yet strong voice perfectly fit her role as Hamilton's steadfast wife who sticks with her husband through his mistakes and fumbles and completes the work in telling his story. Her standout moments came in "Burn" and the finale, "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story."
Intense and emotional moments in "Hamilton" are balanced with humor, and two of the crowd favorites, judging by the sound of audience laughter, were Neil Haskell as King George and Jared Howelton as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson.
King George's stage time abruptly interrupts the show's fast-paced hip hop and R&B-inspired tunes and energetic choreography for the slower, Beatles-esque tune "You'll Be Back" (Reprised in "What Comes Next?" and "I Know Him"). Haskell, comically rigid, delivers laughs during his upbeat tune that features paradoxically morbid lines like, "And when push comes to shove, I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love."
Howelton's line delivery and expressive movements in Act 1 as Lafayette, Hamilton's fellow revolutionary with a comically exaggerated French accent, and in Act 2 as Jefferson, the cocky Virginian who argues his opposing political ideas with Hamilton in two cabinet meeting rap battles, brought roaring audience laughter.
Another actor worth mentioning is Tyler Fauntleroy as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton. Fauntleroy's buttery tenor voice commanded the stage each time he sang, and he was impressively believable as a 9-year-old boy in "Take a Break."
The most powerful moments in "Hamilton" come not from any single performer, but the songs backed by the full ensemble. "Alexander Hamilton," "Nonstop" and "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" all feature the full company, and the effect is resounding, awe-inspiring and chill-inducing.
The "Hamilton" set is bare-bones, with scaffolding, stairs, half-formed brick walls and a moving turntable, all neutral-toned. The ensemble members' costumes also reflect this motif, with beige waistcoats, pants, bodices, jackets and skirts that vary from scene to scene. It's reflective of the blank canvas of forming an incomplete nation.
A unique thing about the cast of "Hamilton" is that many of the cast members have been a part of the show for years, in different capacities.
Actress Jen Sese, who plays Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds, told the Post-Crescent that all three of the Schuyler Sisters in this cast (Angelica, Eliza and Peggy) used to be in "Hamilton" in the same ensemble track, Woman 5.
According to the playbill, Howelton, now Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, played John Laurens/Phillip Schuyler in both of the other two touring casts, and Krauss was previously the standby for Burr and Hamilton in this touring cast. Additionally, Haskell was a swing in the original Broadway cast. It's no wonder the passion on stage is palpable from the audience.
Seeing "Hamilton" is more than just a visit to the theater. It's an experience. And if you have the opportunity to go, you should probably not throw away your shot.
"Hamilton" is playing at the PAC through May 21. Tickets can be purchased online at foxcitiespac.com through Ticketmaster, by phone at 800-982-2787 or through the Fox Cities PAC ticket office in-person or by phone at 920-730-3760.
The PAC ticket office is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 'Hamilton' returns to Fox Cities PAC with riveting performers, visuals
