Theater review: Hamilton

                           Cast of "Hamilton"

2015 was a watershed year for American musicals. That’s the year Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton,” a hip-hop/rap version of “America then, as told by America now,” premiered off-Broadway

It’s been a smash hit ever since, and it’s back in San Diego through Nov. 20 at the Civic Theatre.

Last night’s opening, wildly applauded by a huge audience, boasts a fine singing cast and outstanding choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler. Deaundre’ Woods is excellent as Alexander Hamilton, a young politically savvy man who says he’s “not throwing away my shot.” He wants to get involved in the establishment of a new country, and will collaborate with three college buddies with similar goals: Aaron Burr (Donald Webber Jr.), John Laurens (Andy Tofa), the Marquis de Lafayette (Paris Nix) and Hercules Mulligan (Brandon Louis Armstrong). They will “raise a glass to freedom” and say with conviction that though there are “only four of us, tomorrow there will be more of us.”

Hamilton will get somewhat sidetracked by the charming Schuyler sisters – Eliza, Angelica and Peggy – and will in fact marry Eliza (Morgan Anita Wood), who will in the near future have their first child, Philip (Manuel Stark Santos).

But the American Revolution looms, headed by George Washington, played tonight by Tré Frazier. Illness or other circumstances forced four other casting changes as well: Alex Larson as King George; Ellis C. Dawson III as Aaron Burr, Charlotte Mary Wen as Angelica Schuyler and Christopher Henry Young as Charles Lee.

There's tragedy, comedy, romance, confusion, ecotism, horror and too much death. But that's the history of war.  

The cast changes are likely partially responsible for the not-quite-ready vibe I got from this performance, which seemed to need a few more run-throughs and better control of the speedy pace of the piece, which all too often left me wondering what those words were and why the orchestra seemed to be drowning out the singers so often.

But the voices were uniformly excellent, the text alternately moving and funny, and as I said the choreography outstanding.

U.S. history, sung in hip-hop? It’s difficult to resist.

The details

“Hamilton” plays through Nov. 20, 2022 at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Avenue, downtown.

Shows Tuesday through Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.

Tickets: Buy at the box office or online at eventticketscenter.com