Stage review: With its core message about American politics, ‘Hamilton’ always has a fresh story to tell

Walking into the First Interstate Center for the Arts on Wednesday night, waiting for “Hamilton” to begin, it felt like I was the last person on Earth who hadn’t already seen the show live. After all, I had plenty of opportunities.

The show has been playing in New York since its Off-Broadway debut in 2015 (the musical moved to Broadway later that same year), and national tours have stopped through Spokane in the past.

For no real reason, I just didn’t make it to a show.

Still, I’ve seen “Hamilton,” thanks to the filmed stage production that was released on Disney+ in 2020. And listening to those around me before the show, I realized I wasn’t alone in having that as my only reference to the show.

In a way, then, I knew exactly what to expect, but I also still felt a little unprepared for what was about to take place. On the other end of that spectrum, once the show started, I could tell many in the audience were anticipating their favorite moments, from the filmed version or live shows they’ve attended in the past.

And, in short, the cast of the Philip National Tour hit every beat.

“Hamilton” features a book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda based the musical on the book “Alexander Hamilton,” by Ron Chernow.

The show opens with Aaron Burr (Deon’te Goodman), acting as a narrator throughout the show, introducing audiences to Alexander Hamilton (Blaine Alden Krauss) and his against-all-odds success story of making it from the island of St. Croix to New York City, a bustling town even then.

At King’s College, Hamilton meets Burr, John Laurens (Lucas Hinds Babcock), Marquis de Lafayette (played Wednesday by standby John Devereaux) and Hercules Mulligan (Eddie Ortega), whom he impresses with his way with words and hopes for the future.

The latter three share Hamilton’s excitement, while Burr prefers not to share how he feels about just about anything. Nevertheless, the chemistry between this crew is really fun to watch throughout the first act. Lots of shared jokes and dance moves born from excitement make the connections between the characters feel real.

The well-known Schuyler sisters – Peggy (Candace Quarrels), Angelica (Jisel Soleil Ayon) and Eliza (Kendyl Sayuri Yokoyama) – then enter the picture, excited about the upcoming revolution. It was a real treat anytime the trio sang together, or in pairs, as their voices blended beautifully.

Loyalist bishop Samuel Seabury (Stephen Carrasco) argues against the revolution, and King George III (a hilarious Paul Louis Lessard, who made the absolute most of his brief time on stage) is sure the colonists will come crawling back to him.

Hamilton meets and impresses George Washington (a stately Alex Nicholson), becoming his “Right Hand Man,” around the same time he meets and falls in love with Eliza, who returns his affections.

After a bright wedding scene, Yokayama’s sweet “Helpless” and Ayon’s gorgeous “Satisfied,” a song about how she’s anything but, things quickly sour for the Continental Army and for Laurens and Charles Lee (Tristan Hill), who take part in a duel. For his participation, Washington temporarily suspends Hamilton from the army.

Once he returns home, Hamilton learns that Eliza is pregnant with their first child. Rather than take her advice to slow down in advance of the baby’s birth, Hamilton returns to the military after Lafayette convinces Washington to bring him back.

At the Battle of Yorktown, Hamilton and Lafayette work to bring down the British, with Mulligan’s help. “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)” is such a high-energy moment in the show, I felt like I was holding my breath until the end.

After victory at Yorktown, Hamilton and Burr enjoy fatherhood (Goodman and Krauss show sweet care and hope for the future of their newborn children in “Dear Theodosia”) and continue working as lawyers, with Hamilton gaining more and more influence as time goes by.

Though vibrant as Lafayette, I think Devereaux really shined as Thomas Jefferson in act two. His excitement about the future of the country was still there, but this time he sees Hamilton as a foe, not a friend, as does Ortega, now as James Madison. Ortega had to be a little more reserved as Madison than Mulligan, but his energy was still noticeable on stage.

Burr, too, begins to turn against Hamilton in the second act, going as far as switching parties and defeating Hamilton’s father-in-law for a place in the Senate. He goes a little further in his dislike of Hamilton, of course, but I won’t spoil that part.

In another dual role, Quarrels plays Maria Reynolds, with whom Hamilton has an affair. She and Krauss were especially good together during the saucy “Say No to This.” And Babcock, now as Hamilton’s son Philip, switches the youthful confidence he had as Laurens to the innocence of a child.

Throughout both acts, the leads are supported by an ensemble of performers clad in simple uniforms, which contrast well against the brighter colors of the main characters’ period clothing. The costumes’ off-white mimics that of a piece of parchment that’s passed from person to person in sometimes dizzying choreography, but highlights Hamilton’s obsessive need to “write like he’s running out of time.” The chair-eography was also impressive, reminding me of moments from “Come From Away,” which also builds worlds with simple furniture.

The ensemble, and the band, deserve endless applause for managing the nonstop nature of the show, which uses traditional show tunes but also genres like R&B, hip-hop and soul to tell the story of these Founding Fathers. “America today, presenting America then,” as the show likes to say.

There’s a lot on Krauss’ shoulders as Hamilton, but he moves with ease despite the weight, and with a voice that only got stronger as the show went on. Goodman made a beautiful Burr, especially in the second act, when the realization that he is getting left behind in the world of politics hits him.

Though big group numbers like the opening “Alexander Hamilton,” “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)” and “Cabinet Battle #1” and “Cabinet Battle #2” got some of the loudest cheers of the night, I especially enjoyed the solo numbers that allowed individual performers to shine.

I could’ve listened to Yokoyama’s “Burn” and Richardson’s “One Last Time” over and over again, and Goodman’s “Wait for It,” a mostly solo number during which he is accompanied by the company, has been stuck in my head since leaving the theater.

I understood the hype around “Hamilton” before seeing the show in person, but there’s something about being in “The Room Where It Happens,” if you will, that really drives the musical’s impact home.

Non-musical theater people love “Hamilton” as much as those who have seen dozens and dozens of productions, and the musical has brought performers of color into the spotlight in a way I don’t think many other shows can claim. Politics will always be contentious, so it’s one of those shows that will forever feel relevant and important.

The cast also features Travante S. Baker, Zach Bravo, Brittany Campbell, Simon Longnight, Nicole deRoux, Malachi Durant, Victoria Fiore, Lili Froehlich, Cyndal Gilmore, Sabrina Imamura, Jorrel Javier, Dharon Jones, Kourtney Keitt, Alexa Magro, Vanessa Magula, Josh Marin, Terrance Martin, Taeko McCarroll, Tyler McKenzie, Alex Nicholson and Nick Sanchez.

“Hamilton” runs through April 20 at the First Interstate Center for the Arts.