Ground-breaking ‘Hamilton’ brings American history to life at Van Wezel

Nine years after it made a triumphant debut at New York’s Public Theater and a quick move to Broadway where it became the biggest hit since “The Lion King,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s biographical musical “Hamilton” arrives in Srasota. The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall will now be the room where it happens for two weeks.

Based on Ron Chernow’s in-depth biography of the nation’s first Treasury Secretary, the show uses hip-hop, rap and Broadway styles to bring life to a number of figures in American history, including George Washington (before he was president), Thomas Jefferson and French military officer the Marquis de Lafayette.

At the center of a fast-moving storm is Alexander Hamilton, who prior to the musical was probably best known as the face on the $10 bill and being killed in a duel with his rival Aaron Burr.

The musical quickly became a sensation and the most hard-to-get ticket on Broadway and its initial national tours. It made Miranda, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, one of the most prominent artists in theater and film. The musical, directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, won 11 2016 Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Some of the frenzy has faded and there are still a limited number of tickets for the Sarasota run March 26-April 7. Executive Director Mary Bensel said the show has sold about 89 percent of all available tickets.

Miranda got the idea for the show during a vacation after creating and starring in the Tony Award-winning musical “In the Heights.” He has said he picked up Chernow’s book on Hamilton to read during a vacation, and it inspired more musical ideas. He thought of making a concept album and performed a bit of the opening segment in a “White House Poetry Jam” in 2009 and got encouragement from President Barack Obama. Then the idea evolved into a full-fledged musical that took several years to develop.

New cast takes over

Many of the leading cast members in the touring production began playing their roles full-time just a few weeks ago, some of them after years of involvement in other parts or as standbys and understudies. (The changeover was so recent that new production photos were not available in time for this story.)

Blaine Alden Krauss, who grew up performing in the Tampa area, took over the title role on Feb. 26, but he first joined the musical a few months before the pandemic shutdown and has been with the production on and off since. For the last few months, he was playing Burr, which has allowed him to see the personal and political stories from different sides.

“I had a unique opportunity, especially being standby for both Hamilton and Burr, to get to know both of these guys,” he said in a telephone interview. “Having gone through the character work I did for Burr, I know the things that make him tick and I have that perspective now that I’m playing Hamilton. It’s a unique advantage to shine and bring that out.”

His co-star Kendyl Sayuri Yokoyama recently took over the role of Eliza Schuyler, who becomes Hamilton’s wife. She had been playing Eliza’s younger sister Peggy.

She also has understudied or covered most of the female roles for several years, which gives her a “very clear understanding of what’s going on in certain parts of the show.”

She said playing Peggy was “a great stepping stone to prepare me for eight shows a week.”

In the show, Eliza provides the heart to contrast her husband’s fierce work ethic. Alexander was orphaned as a child, educated in New York, became a lawyer, wheedled his way in to become an aide to General George Washington, founded the Bank of New York and led the push to adopt the U.S. Constitution by writing 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers. After he was elected President, Washington named Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury.

A recurring theme is that he was an overachiever because he didn’t believe he would live a long life.

“Why do you write like you’re running out of time,” the characters sing in the song “Non-Stop.” “Write day and night like you’re running out of time.”

Yokokayama said Eliza has a soft power. “Without her, the show wouldn’t be the same. She was dedicated to defending his work and legacy and fight other people when they were trying to claim that Hamilton was this, that and the other after he was dead.” After his death, she co-founded the first private orphanage in New York City.

The musical doesn’t shy away from issues that cast a harsh light on Hamilton, from the scandal of his affair with a married woman, which essentially ruined his political and legal career, to his flirtations with Eliza’s other sister, Angelica. According to Chernow, there was so much affection expressed in correspondence between Hamilton and Angelica that “many people assumed they were lovers. At the very least, theirs was a friendship of unusual ardor.”

Shifting perspectives in new roles

Hamilton died in 1804 during the duel with Burr, and Krauss said the two men couldn’t have been more different.

“Burr looks at Hamilton as someone who is relentless and doesn’t take no for an answer and given any opportunity he will always speak and say what’s on his mind,” he said. “Burr is the opposite, more calculated and reserved.”

During their many encounters, Burr advises the younger Hamilton to “talk less, smile more. Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for.” It’s advice that Hamilton can’t abide, which is why Krauss approaches the two roles so differently.

“As Hamilton, I try to be on the front foot, someone who is so energetic and speaking faster than people can comprehend what he’s saying. His greatest strength is his mind and his ability to communicate, but it’s also his greatest folly. My view of Hamilton is ultimately he was trying to make his mother proud. I tap into that, to be as relentlessly as I can.”

Audience preparation

The show is filled with quick-paced musical numbers and rapid-fire rap lyrics, particularly those performed by Jared Howleton, who plays both Thomas Jefferson and the French military officer the Marquis de Lafayette.

Though many may have seen the show in previous tour stops, on Broadway, or in the original production that was captured for streaming on Disney+, both actors believe it’s smart for newcomers to listen to the cast album in advance to prepare themselves.

“It moves quickly,” Krauss said. “We’re talking about the lifespan of a character and it’s so layered with political commentary, musical theater history, rap and hip-hop references that different people catch on to,” he said.

Yokoyama said she agrees “100,000 percent” about preparing. “Especially all the Lafayette and Jefferson raps. I don’t even know the words completely and I’ve been in the show so many times. There’s so much you can learn from listening and then just going to enjoy it. You don’t have to think too hard, just enjoy the work we’re doing and how what we do is different from what you see on Disney+.”

Starting a career in Florida

Playing Hamilton is a major step in Krauss’ career after many years of understudying other roles.

“I understudied Wayne Brady in ‘Kinky Boots’ My first role was understudy for Simba in the tour of ‘The Lion King.’ I understudied Lucas Steel in ‘Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812’ on Broadway. So to walk in and have my name on the dressing room, it just means that I’m ready in my time and career for that responsibility.”

Krauss said the show is unique in the diversity of the crowds it attracts.

“Name any other show where political nerds, history buffs, people who like hip-hop and rap culture, true fans of musical theater and kids who come dressed up as the characters in full costume, can all come together in one space,” he said. “This is a show told by Americans who look like Americans today. It’s a commentary on the Founding Fathers and what they really wanted and a testament to the brilliance of the music. He wrote every genre possible. It’s layered, fun and catchy.”

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Krauss first saw the show by winning one of the lottery tickets that are made available for $10 for every performance on the day of the show.

“I literally won a front-row seat. I remember the show being such a blur of excitement. It was so fast, the lighting, dancing. It all moves so quickly,” he said. “But I was also devastated by the emotional depth of the story. I admired that but, of course, I didn’t know how taxing that is on the performances.”

As he’s adjusting to the role, Krauss realizes that the musical “is not only one of the most physically demanding shows, but it’s also super emotional. It’s like ‘Les Miz.’ It’s operatic in its storytelling. Every scene is like a literal life and death and at the end of the show I feel like a semi-truck has hit me. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that. It’s really rewarding, but it’s hard work. I’ve done a lot of great Broadway shows, but to play a character like this and lead a company like this is a dream.”

‘Hamilton’

Book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Directed by Thomas Kail. Runs March 26-April 7. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $119-$289. A lottery for 40 $10 seats will be held for all performances. 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Musical hit ‘Hamilton’ brings passion and history to Van Wezel