On Tuesday, the national touring production of “Hamilton” returned for its third visit to San Diego since 2018.
Once again, most of the tickets for the Tony-winning musical’s 16 performances at the San Diego Civic Theatre sold out in advance. And once again, fans of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical can see the show’s 18th-century characters inhabited by an all-new cast of actors.
If you’re a fan like me, you’ve filled the time between “Hamilton” visits by periodically watching the show’s Disney+ live-capture film with its original Broadway cast. But it’s a thrill to see the musical back onstage where it belongs. It’s also fun to spot how the show has been tweaked here and there as it approaches its 10th anniversary in August.
The current tour, which I saw Wednesday, is in excellent shape. The principal performers are all talented singer-actor-dancers, the music feels as fresh as ever, the visually stunning choreography is razor-sharp, and the physical production — costumes, scenery, lighting and sound — are as rich and elegant as those on Broadway. And seeing it all on the on the Civic Theatre’s large proscenium stage, without the boundaries of a TV screen, showcases the beautiful tableaux created by director Thomas Kail and choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler.
The 2015 Broadway musical “Hamilton” was inspired by author Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography about Alexander Hamilton, the U.S. founding father who was 47 when he died in a duel with political rival Aaron Burr. Miranda’s concept retells Hamilton’s life story as one of an immigrant chasing the American dream. The show features a multiracial cast and a rap-sprinkled score. “Hamilton” won 11 Tony Awards and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
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Blaine Alden Krauss impressively leads the tour cast as the Revolutionary War hero and first U.S. Treasury Secretary Hamilton. He has a rich baritone voice and the confident swagger and relentless energy the role requires, though he could express more visible grief as Hamilton’s fortunes fade. As Aaron Burr, sweet-faced Deon’te Goodman make his conflicted character both relatable and sympathetic. As Hamilton’s sister-in-law Angelica Schuyler, power vocalist Jisel Soleil Ayon delivers one of the show’s best songs, “Satisfied.” And as Hamilton’s wife, Eliza, Kendyl Sayuri Yokoyama impresses with her revenge ballad “Burn.”
Kameron Richardson brings nobility and grace to George Washington, Simon Longknight brings dash and humor to his dual roles as Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. And the very funny Paul Louis Lessard find some new twists of tongue and visual humor as King George III.
“Hamilton” is not only an American immigrant story. It’s also about how this scrappy group of patriots freed America from tyranny and wrote the Constitution, a document that is increasingly under threat by the current federal istration. Hearing songs about freedom of speech, the importance of presidential term limits and anti-immigrant prejudice hit me in entirely new ways this week.
‘Hamilton’
When: 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 1 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through May 18
Where: San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown
Tickets: $82 and up (limited availability)
