Hamilton - Victoria Palace Theatre

I did wonder because the matinee performance I saw Was a couple weeks ago and I believe they had the standby/2nd cover possibly of Aaron Barr… I can’t pronounce his name. But wow, the song where they’re singing to their newborn children he’s part of the song was like I truly believed it, with the Hamilton alternate was like had he literally just picked up the script for the first time just before the show

I won through TodayTix back in Feb and just got the usual e-ticket via the app and email.

Same for the current run at the Birmingham Hippodrome on the tour, still quite a few seats left considering it was once the hottest ticket in town, and other big shows on their 2nd/3rd visits have sold out recently i.e. Wicked, The Lion King, Les Misérables.

Maybe it's a result of the Disney+ film?

Does anybody know which days Alex is scheduled to perform as Hamilton? Or does it vary?

OK, it’s fair to say I’ve been on a bit of a journey with this show. When I saw it for the first time several years ago, I just didn’t really get the hype. I liked some of the songs but, in general, I just couldn’t get into it.

Two years later and, having watched the Broadway proshot in the interim, I decided to make a return trip to see if I still felt like that. To my genuine surprise, this time I found myself completely exhilarated by the score, the performances and the plot.

Alex Sawyer was captivating as Hamilton. He played the role with nuance and charisma, matched by Jay Perry as Burr. The pair had a genuine electricity between them. However, Natty Ong as Eliza was the clear standout. Her ‘Burn’ was stunning to witness in person.

I was also pleased to get the chance to see Nicola Espallardo covering Angelica, having heard great things about her recent Elphaba performances over the road in Wicked. She received the biggest cheer of the night for ‘Satisfied’.

Yes, it helped that I had more of an understanding of the show this time around - particularly in Act Two, which is obviously very politics focussed in its story narrative. I think that appreciation meant I was less confused and frustrated in the rap battles/cabinet meetings. This time, I could hear 99.9% of the lyrics with clarity.

It’s taken me by surprise how engaged I was all the way through. I thought I was likely to enjoy it more than the first viewing but not to this extent. Now I get the hype.

Five stars.