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 26 November 2024 to 25 January 2025.
Tickets will go on sale from Autumn 2023 – be the first to know when by signing up for news at HERE.
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.
Opening 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.
Casting has already started to find a brilliant new company a brilliant new company to welcome audiences to ‘the room where it happens’.
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 next year.
More details to follow soon.
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.
