From February fourth to sixteenth, Hamilton’s outstanding Angelica Tour performed in upstate South Carolina. And we did NOT throw away our shot to see Hamilton at the Peace Center in Greenville on February 16. And here’s what we think of this show. 

The musical Hamilton became a cultural phenomenon after its release in 2015 and since then has become one of the most popular musicals of all time. But, did you know that it took Lin Manuel-Miranda a whopping seven years to complete this 47 song masterpiece. From the opening number of “Alexander Hamiltion” to the finale of “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”, these 150 minutes have changed their audience’s lives all across the world. While many people have seen this musical on their screens through Disney+, being in person for this show live is a completely different and out-of-body experience that everyone should have at least one time. 

Two weekends ago, we, Aiden Ball and Grace Griffin, were able to experience this live masterpiece ourselves. The Peace Center is a theater in Downtown Greenville that seats 2,115 people and is where the Angelica tour of Hamilton performed for nearly two weeks. It is directly across from two different hotels, making the stay extra convenient. I, Aiden, stayed at the AC Hotels right across the street which is in front of many different restaurants and stores, like Insomnia Cookies (I got some cookies after the show), and Jeni’s Ice Cream. Grace stayed at the other Marriott directly across the street which made it convenient for us to meet up between our two show times. These sets of performances are part of Greenville’s Broadway Series where they house a handful of shows each year. The shows at the Peace Center as part of their Broadway Series include Shucked, Moulin Rouge, Back to the Future: The Musical, Some Like It Hot: Broadway’s Great Big Musical Comedy, Life of Pi, and finally, Tony award winning Kimberly Akimbo: A New Musical. Similar to the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, theater goers can purchase tickets to specific shows or are able to buy season tickets which offer one ticket to each of the broadway shows. Going into this weekend, we had planned to attend the play together, meet during intermission, and afterwards rehash the entire performance over a sweet treat. However, Vivid Seats had a very different plan. On the evening of Valentine’s Day, February 14th, my, Grace, mother received both a text and email informing her that Vivid could no longer fulfill her order for 3 seats to the 7 o’clock show. When she called the number listed on these devastating messages, Dr. Griffin promptly told them that she believed they were a scam and would soon hang up. After the operator and her had talked for a minute, we began to understand our unfortunate future. We would be attending the 1 o’clock performance. So the plan had to change, I, Grace Griffin, would attend the first show, meet with Aiden between the two shows, and then he would attend the show later that evening. While this was not our original plan, we found a way to make this work, and to not let this roadblock get us down. And so on February 16, we braved the cold and the 3 and a half hour drive to experience this brilliant performance first hand. 

We both sat in the orchestra during the performance which gave us a pretty good and unobstructed view of the stage. I, Aiden, sat in the rear right orchestra which was nice because I was also near the doors which made it easier to get out during intermission to beat the initial rush. And despite the change of plans, I,Grace was able to still have amazing seats in the center of the stage about six rows back. And as any theater goer knows, we were lucky enough not to have anyone too tall sitting in front of us. But it was not a perfect experience either in regards to the other theater goers. During my, Aiden, show, there was an individual in the back of the theater that yelled out “John Adams” in response to his majesty, King George the Third’s question of who will be the next president following George Washington. But nevertheless, these two performances were all they were boasted to be.

First, here is a review of our cast. After some research, we were able to find out that much of our cast was composed of the ensemble members and understudies. Nevertheless, these talented actors dominated these performances. Like we said, we saw the Angelica Tour cast which spends most of its time on the eastern side of the USA and Canada and stars Tyler Fauntleroy as the title character, and Jimmie “J.J.” Jeter as Hamilton’s enemy, Aaron Burr. But in the case of the 1 o’clock performance, Elvie Ellis took on the role of the ambitious Arron Burr. In both performances on February 16, Jorge Guerra stepped in for Nathan Haydel in the role of John Laurens in the first act and Phillip Hamilton in the second act. The role of George Washington during the 1 o’clock and the 7 o’clock performances was played by Auston Henderson rather than the usual A.D. Weaver. While these three roles are crucial and we are positive the principal actors who play these roles are spectacular, these three definitely did an amazing job at filling these shoes. 

Now let’s talk about the performances of the actors in the Angelica cast. Starting with the amazing Tyler Fauntleroy, our wonderful Alexander Hamilton. Speaking as theater-goers who have watched the Disney+ version with the original cast and now the Angelica cast at the Greenville Peace Center, Fauntleroy was probably our favorite, even compared Lin Manuel-Miranda, the writer of Hamilton’s, performance in which he was nominated for a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical. And then there was Angelica Schuyler, played by the wondrous Marja Harmon. Maybe a controversial opinion, but we felt that Ms. Harmon was not only the best female voice on the cast, but maybe the best vocalist of the entire Angelica cast. Everytime she started to stick up those vocal cords, the entire audience got goosebumps on top of their goose bumps. Of course if we talk about her sister, we must talk about the amazing Eliza Hamilton played by Lauren Mariasoosay. One thing I will note is that I believe my favorite performance of Burn I have ever heard is from the one and only Ms. Mariasoosay. While no one can match the surreal nature of Ms. Phillipa Soo’s version of Burn, Lauren Mariasoosay gave a guttural and ultimately real rendition of this heartbreaking song. And let’s not even begin to discuss her amazing performance of “Stay Alive”. If you were not crying before this musical number, you were sure to be sobbing after. And last but not least Schyuler Sister, there was the outstanding Lily Soto who played Peggy Schuyler in Act 1 and Maria Reynolds in Act 2. Now I have never seen someone give such a child-like aspect to the sweet Peggy Schuyer, and quite frankly we really enjoyed it. It helped create such a contrast between her other characters, the adulterous Maria Reynolds. And wow the range Ms. Soto has, because in each role she was able to capture the respective personalities of both Peggy and Maria. And this would not be a Hamilton review if we did not talk about the iconic role of King George III. From his iconic opening introduction in the song “You’ll Be Back” to his final bow after the breathtaking “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”, King George III has the unique privilege of providing some humor within the musical masterpiece of Hamilton. Now I, Grace, will be the first to admit that Justin Sargent, the actor who played King George III in the Angelica cast, was not my favorite King George III I have seen. That position will always belong to the one and only Jonathan Groff, the original King Geogre III who acted alongside Lin Manuel Miranda. I, Aiden Ball, do agree that Jonathan Groff’s performance was absolutely stellar, but I have to disagree. I did think that Justin Sargent did an amazing job, but I definitely think that Jonathan Groff also did amazing originating this role. And truly last but certainly not least, the one of a kind Jared Howelton that played Marquis de Lafayette in Act 1 and Thomas Jefferson in Act 2. Never in my life have I heard a more realistic French accent suddenly turn Southern at the end of Act 1, and I do not think I ever will again. His amazing take of Guns and Ships will live rent free in our brains for years to come. 

Now let us discuss some of the most impactful scenes throughout the musical masterpiece, specifically from the Angelica Cast. Personally, I, Grace, became a non-stop waterworks once we hit the scene with “Stay Alive Reprise”, or when the eldest son and child of Alexander and Elizabeth Hamilton pass away from a gunshot wound from a duel with George Eaker. To sadden this story further, Phillip was in this duel with Eacker to defend his father’s honor. Watching Eliza Hamilton count up to nine in French with Phillip, just as they had done when he was a child, as he is slipping away was more than I could bear. And to add on the pain, they follow this heart breaking scene with a heart wrenching song like “It’s Quiet Uptown”. Watching Hamilton begin to crack under his grief from the loss of his son and begin to change back into the man Eliza first fell in love with, there could not have been a dry eye in the theater. And when Eliza finally forgives Hamilton for all he has aggrieved her with, it feels as if a little part of your broken heart is being mended. It reminds me of a story from the original cast of Hamilton, specifically Phillipa Soo who played Eliza Hamilton. Her first performance after the passing of her father, she was struggling during this song and Lin Manual Miranda was there for her to lean on, much like Eliza and Hamilton themselves. 

I, Aiden, believe the most impressive parts of this show included the intricate choreography and the performances of Tyler Fauntleroy and Lauren Mariasoosay as Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, respectively. While the Disney Plus Hamilton Special is stellar and above entertaining, seeing the intricacies and technique of the ensemble in person is what stood out. While the set design does not change much throughout the show and does not stand out too much, the ensemble shines through this show. Without the ensemble, this show would not feel nearly as live as it does with the great ensemble. Fauntleroy’s portrayal of Alexander Hamilton was truly breathtaking and definitely is up there with Lin Manuel Miranda’s Tony-nominated performance as the titular protagonist. However, Mariasoosay made the character of Eliza her own while still staying true to the amazing groundwork that Soo had set for her successors. 

Currently, the Angelica North America tour cast of Hamilton is in Houston, Texas right now. They will be playing at the Hobby Center until March 23, and if you have the opportunity to see this cast live, definitely take it. Both of us thought this was an amazing experience and do not regret it one bit. While this cast usually is housed on the eastern side of the USA, the closest it comes in the near future is in Chattanooga, TN, but below we will list some other dates, in case anyone would like to see this amazing tour live. 

Starting March 25: Austin, TX

Starting April 8: New Orleans, LA

Starting April 22: Chattanooga, TN

Starting May 8: Omaha, NE

Overall, this was a spectacular experience. The Angelica Cast all delivered amazing performances, some of which we thought surprisingly outshined some of the performances from those who originated these roles. While it was similar to the Disney Plus special for the most part, the magic of live theater remains and is something that every person should have the chance to experience.