'Hamilton' is at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Is it worth seeing (again)?

When a Broadway mega hit like “Hamilton” tours, audiences know the story and the songs, but the latest production swinging through the Providence Performing Arts Center massages the piece just enough to draw fans deeper into the wonderment.

The historic spin on the life and death of Revolutionary War-era rebel and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton — relayed in brilliant rap-style songs — feels familiar to those who love the Lin-Manuel Miranda original. Yet, thanks to the subtle, yet smart and evocative, changes made by director Tiffany Nichole Greene throughout, this production is packing a more powerful punch than ever before.

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Politics, power and lust

This is a very animated experience, which helps move audiences through its two hours and 45 minutes. From bustling New York City street scenes to battlefields to the halls of Congress, the audience watches Hamilton’s ascent, feels the sharp pain of his personal and professional disappointments, and the blow of his death. It is an emotional ride in which the viewer’s heart soars and dashes in split seconds, as history truly comes alive on the stage.

This is a flawed man who gets in his own way and hurts the people closest to him. Center in the “Hamilton” storyline is a rivalry with politician Aaron Burr, who engages in power struggles with him and eventually kills him in a duel.

Politics, power and lust create a powerful story, but it’s Greene’s vision and the lively choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler that drive this production. The simple set — a three-sided balcony featuring sections that swing out to serve as staircases — hosts almost nonstop activity in every corner, on two levels. Moving on a revolving center ring on the stage, the large ensemble cast enters and exits seamlessly to bolster the swell of action and music, serving almost like a Greek chorus at times to highlight political shenanigans.

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Mesmerizing choreography

Key are simple moments in which dancers place a wooden chair, step up and down off it and then sweep it away, or use a single book as a prop through aerobatic dance moves. While peripheral, these actions give scenes a fluidity that is mesmerizing in its simplicity.

While the cast moves through the choreography effortlessly, Greene often employs movement and dramatic lighting choices, to enhance the story. In the second act, Hamilton faces turmoil when foes expose his marital infidelities, singing “Hurricane” at center stage while the ensemble moves in slow motion around him. They are all cast in a purple haze for a moment that is incredibly powerful.

Chilling moments

The cast also makes its special mark on the story. Vocally, the most chilling moments come in the second act, when Jared Dixon delivers stunning, controlled notes as Burr in “The World Was Wide Enough,” Stephanie Jae Park’s sweet tones frame Eliza Hamilton’s delivery of the show’s most tender moments in “It’s Quiet Uptown,” and Pierre Jean Gonzalez, whose performance as Hamilton is strong, displays heartbreaking vulnerability in “Hurricane.”

The sassiest moments in the original tour come from King George, who arrogantly observes the revolution from England. While Neil Haskell is an absolute comic delight in this production, the real treat is the zany personality Warren Egypt Franklin infuses into Thomas Jefferson. Clad in a Prince-esque purple plush suit, Franklin is animated and bawdy.

This “Hamilton” does not disappoint, proving that the vision of a good director can always ply something fresh and fierce in even the most beloved play. The show is on stage at PPAC, 220 Weybosset St., Providence, through Dec. 12. For tickets, go to ppacri.org.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 'Hamilton' is showing at PPAC till Dec.12. Is it worth seeing?