Hamilton- the musical

 Hamilton - the musical.

The critics loved it, adored every single second, minute and hour of it and then applauded thunderously because they'd seen something that would always live in their memory permanently. How does the West End of London do it year after year? This hardly came as a surprise because once again a musical had caressed the discerning ears of a public who always know how to respond to a theatrical masterpiece. They stood and cheered themselves hoarsely whenever the vast repertoire of songs had finally rung out.

My lovely wife Bev and I had acknowledged the superlative magnificence of Hamilton- the musical that transported us back to a time when all of the social issues that had so dramatically affected America in its dim and distant past had now been adapted to the big West End stage. And so it was that Hamilton broke into song and kept singing and singing, rhapsodising and rhapsodising, belting out those classic numbers in quite the most remarkable homage to one Alexander Hamilton. Had you heard of him? No, nor had we.

There was a tempestuous period in American history when everything seemed to kick off, when men were men and women were women. These were formative and learning years for America, a young country  still learning the political ropes. One man though broke all boundaries and spoke out on the country's behalf,  patriotic as the Stars and Stripes and a determined man, a man of firm resolution and steadfast principles. 

When the American Civil War or the Revolutionary War broke out, Hamilton stepped forward into the limelight and delivered some of the finest speeches about slavery and its abolition. He was almost putting his name forward onto the dangerous parapet of American politics. Hamilton was the leader without a single flaw or blemish in his character who praised America to the skies, arguing fiercely for its independence, reminding a violently racist America that he was still there for them, on their side. 

And so he took his pride to the highest authorities and continued to bluster his positive and favourable rhetoric. There was a time when the America of the 1960s once banned a black woman from travelling on a bus. Rosa Parks though beat the system and united all races, classes and backgrounds. She sat at the back of a bus and refused to budge, defiant and intransigent, sitting there unmoved and demanding the right to be considered an equal. The repulsive smell of racism and segregation had now stunk the place out but Hamilton stood his ground in forthright fashion and took on the Establishment. 

Hamilton - the musical was a fabulous West End musical with a brilliant variation on a theme and the kind of music that was both refreshingly innovative, a dazzling exhibition of dancing, singing and just performing with a glorious abandon and foot loose, fancy free choreography. It was a stirring, immensely gratifying and rousing show full of music that just sent a joyful tingle down your spine. It had everything that you'd expect in a West End musical; exhilarating entertainment on another level. 

But Hamilton was quite literally a musical, a vast homage to hip hop, blues, jazz and rap. There were moments when the inclusion of the extraordinary Bob Marley would not have seemed out of place. The whole of Hamilton was like a huge tableau of riffing, rapping, free word association with rap poetry that left you stunned and drooling with overflowing admiration. The story of Hamilton was straightforward and  fluently executed. We were not disappointed and we just delighted in the expression of the West End theatrical spirit. 

Hamilton was one of the first central characters who believed forcefully that slavery in America was a disgrace, a tale of blatant exploitation. Alexander Hamilton was the Treasury Secretary campaigning on behalf of those who were oppressed, repressed and discriminated against for ages. Hamilton joined forces with Thomas Jefferson, the President of the USA in their collective attempt to turn the tide in the Revolutionary War which was tearing America apart.

But Chris Jackson as George Washington, Lin Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Jonathan Goff as a camp and effeminate King George, Daveed Diggs as the Marquis de Lafayette and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schufler all combined in one fantastic song and dance production, a classical collaboration of most genres of music that just kept the electric momentum going until the final curtain. 

Here were men dressed in the traditional military clothes of the American Civil War while the ladies wore the bustle and rich fabric of billowing skirts that reminded you of a time when everything and everybody was dignified and decorous. Then the action unfolded on stage with performances of immaculate timing, magical lyrics that were right up to date, every word rhyming wondrously and admirably.

There were astonishingly imaginative numbers, rap compositions that felt as if you were listening to one of your Open Mic sessions where the local rap poets poured out Caribbean words of wisdom, every word perfectly measured and balanced, beautifully modulated words that had slang, rhyming couplets and magnificent showmanship. For a minute you could have been on a paradisial beach in Barbados where the rum was flowing and the coconut juices were available in plentiful supply. 

And so the show reached its memorable climax. Hamilton is shot dead, the whole cast gathering around the deceased body now lying prostrate on the ground. There were tears and emotions, raw grief felt painfully and a sense that a generation had passed sadly into history. So treat yourself to another warm, feelgood musical and let the rest of your family and friends know as well. If you have seen Hamilton then you extend your heartfelt congratulations.