‘Hamilton’ shows its staying power

Costa Mesa, CA (News4usOnline) – Despite being a fan of Hamilton since the age of thirteen and seeing the show on three occasions, this particular performance at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts moved me in ways I couldn’t imagine.

The opening number had a consistent, impactful feeling that had the audience’s attention when the first few notes were played. Despite the uniformity in this number compared to the others, it allowed me to get a feel for who the actors of the night were, and more importantly, the tone of their voices had piqued my interest. 

Each person sounded wonderful and held their own, but I would like to take this time to highlight the actresses who portrayed Angelica and Eliza Schuyler. Jisel Soleil Ayon’s Angelica was powerful yet sentimental, especially with her rendition of “Satisfied.”

The foundations of this song deal with regret and heartache that she is plagued with for years to come; I have to admit, though, that Jisel’s rendition that night moved me to tears. Her own interpretations and decisions were well crafted, which appeared to be a common theme for the whole cast that night.

Kendyl Sayuri Yokoyama was like a breath of fresh air with a sweet vocal tone, elevating Eliza’s complexity. These contributions were shared between intelligence and naivety, growing into learned strength.

Having heard the soundtrack numerous times, it truly felt like we grew with Eliza once we got to her last breath in “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story.”

While looking back at the cast list, I had noticed that Lafayette/Jefferson that night was portrayed by Jorrel Javier, who did a tremendous job. He had stood out for the whole show as both characters allowed us to see two different people, much like his peers, who also have the responsibility to portray two people.

Jorrel’s interpretation was a defining factor that provided great comedic timing and was able to be the best of friends with Hamilton for one half, and as his political enemy in the next. The portrayal of Blaine Alden Krauss as Hamilton helped contribute to what made these efforts translate smoothly.

This appeared to be a common factor that I loved about this cast. Their ability to build off of one another can clearly bleed into the whole cast beyond the principles and into the stellar ensemble, as we can see with Jorrel stepping into a leading role that night. 

I cannot emphasize enough that there was not one weak link in the entirety of the show, which led to me wanting more. Their commitment to unity and chemistry on and off the stage did not go unnoticed and paid off well. This version of “Hamilton” is truly an exceptional cast that had their own quirks and charms, which unironically blew us all away.