Friday, February 2, 2018

reviews - HAMILTON - National Tour: ASU Gammage

the national tour cast
photo by Joan Marcus
highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through February 25th.

"You'd probably have to be living under a rock to not know anything about the musical phenomenon that is Hamilton....With the musical on the verge of total world domination, the big question is, "does Hamilton live up to the hype?" The answer is a resounding "yes"! ...It's been a while since there has been a musical that has changed the way we think about the art form. I'd have to go back about 30 years to when Les Misérables first took the world by storm to find a piece of musical theatre that found a similar way to bring an epic story to life so vibrantly on stage. While Hamilton doesn't quite have the same emotional payoff that Les Misérables has (chalk that up somewhat to the slight disconnection from the audience to the cast that this show will face when playing very large venues as it tours across the country), it has an infectious energy and modern sensibility that Les Misérables didn't. Miranda's intricate and massive score, the use of the multi-racial cast, the vibrant and distinct creative elements, and Kail's focused and precise direction come together to make this an epic masterpiece. Hamilton makes history accessible like never before by using modern musical styles and a cast that is more representative of the make-up of America to humanize and breathe life into the people in our history books.. " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)

"...For theatre-goers who keep up with current events, Hamilton will be everything you’ve heard, and maybe even more. For others ...the show and it’s hip-hop score may not produce the same response. There could be a tendency to feel unengaged, even distant. But you cannot fail to see that there’s something uniquely and positively different here in the making, whether it’s to your taste or not..." -David Appleford, Valley Screen and Stage (click here to read the complete review)

"What is there left to say about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s unlikely smash hit 'Hamilton" three years after it took Broadway by storm? ...It has wit. It has intrigue. It has pathos. It has compelling themes...And the hip-hop/R&B score and the diverse casting, far from being incidental or gimmicky, constitute (pun intended) the narrative’s central metaphor, embodying the revolutionary excitement of the era and expanding the American dream to include those who were marginalized at the time, and now — minorities, immigrants, women. “Hamilton” is also a masterpiece of theatrical craft. ...you needn’t worry about the quality of the touring cast.... " Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic (click here to read the complete review)

"What more can be said about a production that...has already received the ultimate in honors and plaudits and for which the best adjectives have already been used? Yes, awesome, glorious, uplifting! All of that and more! But, beyond the WOW! WOW! WOW! of the performances...what reigns over this show is the sheer magnitude and depth of Lin-Manuel Miranda's artistic vision..." Herbert Paine, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)

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