"Hamilton"
Fisher Theatre
Detroit, Mich.
Through May 17
If there was ever a year to see “Hamilton,” 2026 – the year of the United States’ 250th anniversary – might be it. Like “Suffs,” “Hamilton” is more than a history lesson – it’s a reminder of the values our country stood for and what it took to achieve the freedom and rights we claim to hold so dearly.
For the still uninitiated, “Hamilton” is the rags-to-riches story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton. He was George Washington’s right-hand man, famous for being the primary author of the Federalist Papers, establishing the nation’s financial system and getting killed by Aaron Burr.
As we learn in the show’s opening lyrics, it’s about how a “bastard, orphan, son of a whore … impoverished in squalor [grew] up to be a hero and a scholar.” It’s the epitome of the American Dream – how someone who came from nothing worked hard to reach the top, achieving fame and power in a land where he was free to break away from his original station in life.
"Hamilton" takes the concept of the American Dream further. Intentional multiracial casting – there are no White founding fathers here – and hip-hop music remind us that Americans and American culture are not a monolith. As Hamilton was born in the West Indies, the show leans heavily into his immigrant status, reminding us frequently that immigrants “get the job done,” arguing the sharing of diverse minds and experiences in our historical “melting pot” is a source of strength, not the cancer many view it as today.
I’ve seen multiple productions of “Hamilton,” and while I did not find this cast to be as vocally strong as previous ones, the crux of the story was there. Matt Bittner stole the show as cheeky, petulant King George III. He arrived with a roar from the audience, later causing even Jimmie JJ Jeter as Aaron Burr to break character trying to hold back his laughs. Lily Soto as Eliza Hamilton gave another standout performance, breaking hearts as the betrayed wife and mourning mother, especially in “Burn.”
As it reaches its semiquincentennial, the United States may have had a good run, but we are currently in a battle for our soul. The country established on the freedom of expression, the freedom of religion, the freedom of the press – built on a multicultural society – is under threat by those who could use a good reminder of what it means to be an American patriot. “Hamilton” is the reminder of the greatness of our past and what we could be again in our future.
