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If you haven’t been able to make it to Broadway to see the musical “Hamilton,” not to worry – it’s coming to you.
The hit show has been running on Broadway since 2015. It has also gone global with a pair of touring companies; one of those will play in Greensboro Dec. 26-Jan. 5.
“We are thrilled that “Hamilton” is returning to the Tanger Center stage,” said general manager Scott Johnson. “We were fortunate to bring this critically acclaimed blockbuster to Greensboro for the first time in 2022 and it received rave reviews from our Broadway season seat members. We look forward to again hosting capacity crowds for this epic event.”
A special treat this time will be the appearance of Jimmie “J.J.” Jeter as Alexander Hamilton’s nemesis Aaron Burr. Jeter is from Winston-Salem; one may be familiar with him from performances at the National Black Theater Festival. Previously, he has played the lead role in the show on Broadway as well as serving as assistant director for touring companies and principal standby – a position that requires him to be able to step into any of several of the show’s roles at a moment’s notice.
“Hamilton” is based on a 2004 biography of the founding father by Ron Chernow, who has been a historical consultant to the show. Actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda read the book not long after his show “In the Heights” won multiple Tony awards in 2008. “I was just browsing the biography section. It could have been Truman,” he told “60 Minutes” of the title he chose for a vacation read.
Born out of wedlock on the Caribbean island of Nevis in the mid-1750s (no official records exist for the exact date), Alexander Hamilton became a hero of the Revolutionary War, a renowned political thinker and this nation’s first secretary of the treasury; his face is on the $10 bill. His story fascinated Miranda, who told Vogue magazine, “I Googled ‘Alexander Hamilton hip-hop musical’ and totally expected to see that someone had already written it. But no. So, I got to work.”
The result is a show running nearly three hours, sung and rapped through. Its characters include many familiar names from U.S. history, such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, who are portrayed by actors who don’t look like they did. With the exception of King George, the roles were written for nonwhite actors.
“This is a story about America then, told by America now, and we want to eliminate any distance,” Miranda told The New York Times. “Our story should look the way our country looks. Then we found the best people to embody these parts. I think it’s a very powerful statement without having to be a statement.”
The show’s songs refer to rap as well as other musicals; for example, “Ten Duel Commandments” includes a sample from “Ten Crack Commandments” by Notorious B.I.G., while the phrase “You’ve got to be carefully taught” in the anthem “My Shot” is the title of a tune from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 classic “South Pacific.”
“Hamilton” has won numerous awards: Tonys, a Grammy, the Pulitzer Prize for drama and more. The Broadway production has grossed just about $1 billion since 2015 and tickets there are very difficult to get. At press time, they were still available in Greensboro. But for anyone who wants to see the show, they should move quickly.
For tickets and more info, visit: tangercenter.com.
Tracy Fields is an arts and entertainment writer and Greensboro native who grew up in Benbow Park.
