From left: Nathan Haydel, Tyler Fauntleroy, Jared Howelton, Elvie Ellis and Company in “Hanilton” National Tour
From left: Lauren Mariasoosay, Marja Harmon and Lily Soto in “Hanilton” National Tour.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Broadway production of “Hamilton” and audiences are once again scrambling to be in the room where it happens. Bostonians can get their Founding Fathers fix during the Broadway tour that hits the Hub this month.
“Hamilton” is a hip-hop musical with book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda that tells the story of Alexander Hamilton. Based on the biography by Ron Chernow, the musical has won 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. The show is biographical and set during the Revolutionary War but told through a contemporary perspective and with an almost entirely Black and brown cast. When the show debuted, that diversity was one of its hallmarks.
Marja Harmon plays Angelica Schuyler, Hamilton’s sister-in-law and confidante. She’s been in that roll off and on since 2019. When Harmon first saw “Hamilton” during its original Broadway run, she was struck by Angelica’s character immediately.
“When Angelica Schuyler came on stage, it was the first time I had seen myself, as a Black woman, on Broadway, fully represented,” she said. “And I knew immediately I had to play her.”
In the six years she’s been playing the role, Harmon has evolved in her career, gotten married, lived through a pandemic and much more. She says she’s grown to understand and appreciate Angelica even more as she’s lived with the character.
During the show, Angelica and Aaron Burr separately sing poignant songs that reveal their inner frustrations. Both must make tough decisions that impact the rest of their lives.
“It’s such a beautiful example of how we reconcile these inevitable compromises,” Harmon said. “I think that’s something that every human watching the show can really understand and take away.”
“Hamilton” will run at the Citizens Opera House, 539 Washington St., from Sept. 23 to Nov. 2. Regularly priced tickets start at $49. Through a lottery system, a limited number of $10 tickets will be available for each show. Theater lovers can enter the lottery using the official “Hamilton” app.
Even a decade after its debut, “Hamilton” and its revolutionary spirit continue to feel relevant to the current moment.
“The fragility of humanity is so palpable throughout the entire show, and it really reflects the human experience,” Harmon said. “I think right now, too, regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, it unites us in that at one point, we were all wanting the best of what we could be.”
ON THE WEB
Learn more at boston.broadway.com/shows/hamilton
