‘Hamilton’ int’l tour cast shares what makes the American musical universal

Jason Arrow as Alexander Hamilton in the Australian Production | Photo by Daniel Boud

History has its eyes on Manila right now as the hit American rap musical “Hamilton” has finally made its international premiere in the city.

Six months after the viral two-second video teaser of “Hamilton” creator Lin Manuel Miranda saying, “What’s up, dude, pare” was posted, the musical has officially opened, featuring a touring cast with members from various US runs, the West End, and the recent Australia run.

The cast also includes Filipina singer-actress Rachelle Ann Go, who notably appeared in the West End productions of “Les Miserables,” “Miss Saigon,” and “Hamilton,” where she played Eliza Schuyler. She is reprising the role for the Manila run.

Asked about her feelings on reprising the role, this time back in her home country, Go shared: “This is a dream come true for me. I was actually telling some of my friends that back in 2017, when I did this role in the West End, I had a feeling that ‘Hamilton’ would be going to the Philippines. For some reason, I had that vision. And I told myself, ‘I’m gonna do this role in the Philippines.’ And here I am, doing it in front of our kababayans, and it’s such a dream come true.”

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“We first started talking about launching an international tour of ‘Hamilton’ not long after the show premiered on Broadway,” Michael Cassel, CEO of the Michael Cassel Group and producer of the “Hamilton” international tour, said during a press conference. “And when I shared the idea with Jeffrey (Seller, producer of “Hamilton” on Broadway) that this would make a wonderful tour to share with audiences around the world, he asked me, ‘Michael, where will we start the show?’ I said, ‘The only place to start an international tour would be the Philippines.’” 

Manila is currently thriving with a great number of local theater productions, as well as local stagings of Broadway hits. Various international tours of musicals have also made their stops in the country—most recently “The Sound of Music” and “We Will Rock You.” Suffice it to say that Filipinos are a receptive audience for musical theater.

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“Hamilton” has gained a global following because of how it has creatively utilized musical genres that are unconventional for musical theater—using hip-hop, rap, and R&B to tell the story of America’s forgotten founding father as well as its road to independence. It is also notable in that it features a diverse, color-blind cast mix, where it is possible to see Black Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and even Filipinos, portray people who were historically white.

Darnell Abraham, who plays the role of George Washington for the international tour, shares: “I remember our first preview performance here, and I was really moved because I looked across the stage and I had this thought, this must be heaven on Earth. Just to see everyone representing a unique culture and background.”

While the musical’s story revolves around the history and politics of the United States, the cast emphasizes how it is also—perhaps even more importantly—a reflection of the universal human experience and connection.

Rachelle Ann Go in the London production of Hamilton | Photo courtesy of Michael Cassel Group

“I think with this show, the call is that even as flawed humans, we can still do something. The beauty of this musical is that it is so universal. It’s about the human experience, about human flaws… but being able to do something that will be relevant,” says Akina Edmonds, who plays Angelica Schuyler in this run.

“You see the best and worst of people, that people who have done great things have also done bad things. That’s part of the human experience. And that’s what makes [‘Hamilton’] an international show,” Jason Arrow, who plays the titular role Alexander Hamilton, adds.

Asked about the importance of “Hamilton”’s story to Asian audiences, Arrow, who also originally played Alexander Hamilton in the Australian run, says: “I thought [about] the same thing when they announced the show was coming to Australia. I didn’t know how the show would go anywhere but America. But what we found in Australia is that… the politics of it is just a vehicle for very human stories. That’s the main focus. And more and more I realize that politics has very little to do with it. The nationality doesn’t necessarily matter, what matters is the human connection.”

There has long been a clamor for the musical to be brought to the Philippines, and finally, Pinoy Hamilfans’ prayers have been answered. The multi-awarded historical hip-hop musical will be running at The Theatre at Solaire until November.

Despite the palpable popularity of “Hamilton” in the country, the cast jokingly remarked at how “polite” Filipino audiences are. Go explains, “Filipinos are very polite. I heard some (cast members) ask, ‘Are they enjoying it?’ And I have to explain to them that Filipinos… wait until the end of the number to applaud, which is amazing. I was watching everyone, and they’re really into it. They’re absorbing every single word, every single scene. Just to see their faces in awe makes my heart jump. As a Filipino, seeing my kababayans enjoy and have fun is amazing.”