Wales Millennium Centre will welcome the multi award-winning musical HAMILTON in the Centre’s 20th anniversary year, to play a nine week season at its Donald Gordon Theatre from 26th November to 25th January 2025. We can tell you that tickets are flying, so if this show is on your ‘must see’ list, then. check the link at the bottom of the page.
Before we go any further we managed to get in the room, albeit by Zoom, with MAYA BRITTO who plays Alexander’s wife Eliza. As much as the musical is about Hamilton, the female characters are equally important and in the case of Eliza, very much take centre stage in the story and beyond.
We spoke to Maya about Eliza and how inspirational she was to both Alexander and the world around her. First though, we wondered when Hamilton the Musical first entered Maya’s world……
Full casting has been announced for the first ever UK and Ireland tour of the multi-award- winning Hamilton.
Alexander Hamilton will be played by Shaq Taylor (Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables, Jesus Christ Superstar). Sam Oladeinde (Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, Come From Away) will be playing Aaron Burr. Gabriela Benedetti (Cabaret, Legally Blonde) will be starring as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, and KM Drew Boateng (Scroogelicious, The Colour Purple) will be playing Hercules Mulligan/James Madison.
King George will be played by Daniel Boys (Spamalot, Avenue Q, RENT), Eliza Hamilton will be played by Maya Britto (Hamilton) and Angelica Schuyler will be played by Aisha Jawando (The Book of Mormon, The Lion King and the role of Tina in Tina – The Musical.)
DeAngelo Jones (Hamilton) will be performing as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton, with Billy Nevers (&Juliet, Legally Blonde) as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson and Charles Simmons (German production of Hamilton) as George Washington.
They are joined by Simeon Beckett, Taylor Bradshaw, Cletus Chan, Kyerron Dixon-Bassey, Kyeirah D’marni, Yesy Garcia, Jonathan Hermosa-Lopez, Levi Tyrell Johnson, Honey Joseph, Akmed Junior Khemalai, Richard Logun, Buna McCreery-Njie, Mia Mullarkey, Antoine Murray-Straughan, Kiran Patel, Izzy Read, Alice Readie, Harry Robinson, Phoebe Samuel-Gray, Jasmine Jia Yung Shen, Samantha Shuma, Michael James Stewart, Rhys West, Jack Whitehead and Sian Yeo.
Cameron Mackintosh said……
“Jeffrey Seller and I are thrilled to introduce this hugely talented cast for the first ever UK and Ireland Tour of Hamilton.
I was fortunate to be in ‘the room where it happens’ earlier this week for the start of rehearsals and feel very proud that we will soon have two brilliant companies of Hamilton in the UK; in London at the Victoria Palace Theatre, where the show continues to break box-office records and on tour, starting at the Palace Theatre Manchester in November.
Jeffrey and I cannot wait for audiences around the country to discover, or enjoy again, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s revolutionary musical phenomenon.”
And here they are in action…..
The Olivier, Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical opened at the newly re-built and restored Victoria Palace Theatre in London in December 2017 where it continues to play to sell-out houses and is currently booking until 2 March 2024. The production continues to play to record breaking houses on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, throughout North America, in Toronto, Australia and Germany with forthcoming seasons in New Zealand an International tour also planned.
A brand new company for the UK and Ireland tour is currently being assembled from over 3000 hopeful artists. The cast for the UK and Ireland tour will be announced soon.
Graeme Farrow, Wales Millennium Centre’s Artistic Director told us……..
“We know just how long people have had to wait for it, but now we know: next Christmas our Donald Gordon Theatre will finally be the room where it happens. What better way for us to celebrate our 20th anniversary?
The story of Alexander Hamilton has taken the world by storm, so there was no way we could say no to this. I hope you’ll buy your tickets and meet me inside.”
HAMILTON is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, the show has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.
The tour opened first in Manchester, followed by Edinburgh – not far from where the real story of Alexander Hamilton began in Ayrshire, where his father was born in the 1700’s, before he moved to Nevis in the West Indies.
With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography. The HAMILTON creative team previously collaborated on the Tony Award®-Winning Best Musical In the Heights.
HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg and hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe.
HAMILTON is produced in the UK by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Cameron Mackintosh.
Hamilton Producer Jeffrey Seller said……
“Since the day the show opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London has embraced Hamilton with an enthusiasm we could never have imagined.
We are excited to embark on a UK tour and share this special musical with audiences in Manchester and Edinburgh first.”
Cameron Mackintosh added……..
“Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is indisputably the most brilliant, ground-breaking, contemporary musical of modern times. I feel extraordinarily fortunate that Lin and my friend Jeffrey Seller, the show’s original producer, have entrusted me with their wonderful musical in the UK and Ireland.
The London production opened in 2017 at the Victoria Palace, a theatre I completely rebuilt to house Hamilton, where it continues to play and has proved to be as big a success as the Broadway original. So, I am thrilled that it is time to put together a second British national touring company to bring this great show to our leading cities.”
I was fortunate to be at that very first opening night with Cameron Mackintosh and Lin-Manuel Miranda in the audience – honestly we didn’t know what to watch, Lin-Manuel or the show. The show won obviously.
I don’t think I’ve shared any of my photos from that special night, but here goes.
SOUTH WALES LIFE HAMILTON FACT FILE
- It took ages to create – When Lin-Manuel set out to create Hamilton, he’d already won a Tony for In the Heights, a hip-hop- and salsa-infused show set in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighbourhood. It took Miranda a full year to write the first song, and another year to write the second.
- It sticks pretty close to the facts – Lin-Manuel of course used some creative license with the history, but for the most part he wanted this to be an accurate telling of the story. He read Hamilton’s writings (and there are many), and visited the New York spots where history happened — including Fraunces Tavern on Pearl Street where George Washington gave a farewell address to his officers.
- The show caused a bit of a political stir – Back in 2016, then Vice President-elect Mike Pence wnet to see Hamilton, which offers a strongly pro-immigration message, and was booed by members of the audience. After the final curtain call, actor Brandon Dixon, who plays Aaron Burr, made a statement from the stage.
- There’s a lot of words in this musical – Using hip-hop meant Hamilton could break away from the norm and pack in those words. Oklahoma! averages around 59 words per minute, with a total word count of 4,303; Phantom of the Opera had 77 words per minute, and a total of 4,709 words. But Hamilton beats them all – the show packs in 144 words per minute, and its total word count is 20,520.
- The show was partly inspired by Les Misérables – Lin-Manuel has always loved musicals, and performed in quite a few at school. One of his all-time favourites is Les Misérables, and that classic inspired him with Hamilton.
The show is full of witty lyrics, passionate performances, and features a score that blends hip-hop, R&B, jazz, and classic Broadway music.
Hamilton is a revolutionary moment in theatre; a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education, captivating audiences and leaving them inspired and uplifted – and now we get to see it right here in South Wales at the Wales Millennoium Centre.
On a personal note, we were also blessed to be at the Olivier Awards on the night HAMILTON swept the boards – a night we’ll never forget.
So, now is the time to get yourself in the Cardiff room where it happens, namely the Wales Millennium Centre. HAMILTON is here from the 26th November to 25th January 2025. Tickets start at just £25 and there are lots of performances with 2:30pm matinees on each Thursday and Saturday and evening performances at 7:30pm. There’s also a 1pm performance on both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.
Best thing is to head over to their site and check out all the details – HERE.
Also be aware that Hamilton contains some strong language, the show is appropriate for ages 10+. Everyone, regardless of age, must have their own ticket to enter the theatre.
Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by and sat next to a ticket holder who is at least 18 years old. Children under the age of 3 will not be admitted.
