Hamilton in the West End: All you need to know about the hottest show in town
The iconic musical is back in London
The world went crazy when Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton opened on Broadway back in 2015 so it was no surprise that the musical made its way to London just a few years later.
There's no doubt that Hamilton has cemented itself into the musical history books so let's dive in to the musical that tells American history like you've never seen it before!
What is Hamilton the musical about?
Hamilton the musical is the life story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States. Tackling political highs and lows, immigration, a sex scandal and death. Hamilton takes topics which still need widely spoken about in modern times and brings them to life with a mixture of rap, hip-hop, soul and traditional show tunes.
Described as telling the story of past America by modern America, Hamilton has made a huge impact and cannot be missed.
Who wrote Hamilton the musical?
Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the book, music and lyrics for Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda is joined by a creative cast which includes Thomas Kail as director, Andy Blankenbuehler as choreographer and Paul Tazewell as costume design.
Prior to Hamilton, Lin also wrote the 2008 Broadway musical In The Heights and he co-wrote the music and lyrics for Bring It On The Musical. After Hamilton he worked with Disney writing the songs for their animated films Moana and Encanto, starred in Mary Poppins Returns, he made his directorial debut with Netflix's tick, tick… BOOM! and that's just a few of the things he's done!
How can I watch the Hamilton film?
A filmed version of the Broadway version of Hamilton is available to stream on Disney+. The filmed version of Hamilton was filmed at the Richard Rogers Theatre and features the original cast which includes Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom Jr.
Hamilton: New West End cast
Joining the cast will be Declan Spaine in the title role of Alexander Hamilton, Ava Brennan as Angelica Schuyler, Simbi Akande as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Dom Hartley-Harris as George Washington and Lemuel Knights as Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson.
Joining the ensemble will be Gabriela Acosta, Elizabeth Armstrong, Alishia-Marie Blake, Aimie Hibbert, Sam Holden, Christian Knight, Nathan Louis-Fernand, Stacey McGuire, Lewis Newton, Hassun Sharif, Alex Tranter and Maddison Tyson.
Current West End cast
Reuben Joseph as Alexander Hamilton
Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Aaron Burr
Allyson Ava-Brown as Angelica Schuyler
Shan Ako as Eliza Hamilton
Roshani Abbey as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds
Trevor Dion Nicholas as George Washington
Waylon Jacobs as Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson
Emile Ruddock as Hercules Mulligan/James
Jake Halsey-Jones as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton
Joel Montague as King George III
Alex Sawyer as Alexander Hamilton at certain performances
The cast is completed by Jade Albertsen, Curtis Angus, Maya Britto, Matthew Caputo, Filippo Coffano, Ashley Daniels, Kelly Downing, Matthew Elliot-Campbell, Jordan Frazier, Manaia Glassey-Ohlson, Olivia Kate Holding, Barney Hudson, DeAngelo Jones, Phoebe Liberty Jones, Nicolais-Andre Kerry, Travis Kerry, Ella Kora, Natasha Leaver, Aaron Lee Lambert, Louis Mackrodt, Kerri Norville, Samuel Sarpong-Broni, Lindsey Tierney and Brandon Williams.
What are the best songs from Hamilton?
There are 46 songs in Hamilton the musical, many of which have appeared in the UK music charts. My Shot is a huge fan favourite with other tracks including Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down), Wait For It and Satisfied proving very popular. Ultimately, you'll have to see the show to decide your favourite track from Hamilton the musical.
Which song in Hamilton the musical is the fastest?
On Broadway, Daveed Diggs who plays Marquis De Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson managed to rap an incredible 19 words in just three seconds as part of the song Guns and Ships.
What's the longest song in Hamilton?
The longest song in Hamilton is the aptly-named 'Non-Stop' which comes in at 6 minutes and 25 seconds. If you didn't know this, don't worry as neither did the film cast of In the Heights, including Anthony Ramos who was in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton.
Has Hamilton won any awards?
It may come as no surprise that Hamilton has several awards! The Broadway production dominated its year at the Tony Awards with 16 nominations and 11 wins - braking the record for most nominations received for a single production.
The West End production also holds record wins at the Olivier Awards with 13 nominations and seven wins making it the most nominated production and the most wins for a musical (joint with Matilda the Musical and the 2021 revival of Cabaret).
Other awards won by Hamilton include the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album and the release on Disney+ won two Emmy Awards.
Which celebrities are fans of Hamilton?
Celebrity fans of Hamilton the musical include Frozen star Idina Menzel, Beyonce, Oprah, actress Emily Blunt and Kayne West who have all posed for photos with the cast. However, you can't get a much bigger seal of approval than counting Michelle and Barack Obama as fans of your musical!
Where can I see Hamilton in London?
Hamilton's London home is the Victoria Palace in Victoria, London and is just across the road from Wicked. The nearest station is London Victoria which has national rail links as well as being on the Victoria, District and Circle lines. If you're heading to the coach station - it's further thank you think!
How can I get tickets for Hamilton the musical?
Tickets for Hamilton the musical, at the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End, are available online now from the Hamilton website.
How long is Hamilton running until?
Considering the show's massive success, we don't expect the West End production of Hamilton to close anytime soon. The show is currently booking until 3rd March 2023.
Is there a ticket lottery?
Yes there is! The lottery runs on TodayTix and gives you a chance to get £10 tickets. The lottery opens each Friday at 12:01am and runs until 1pm the following Thursday. The winner will then be selected before 6pm that Thursday and will be able to unlock the £10 tickets for the following week.
Is there a UK tour of Hamilton?
Not at the moment, long-running West End shows usually wait a few years until they it the road, with the West End production hitting the 5 year milestone at the end of this year it may not be too long until we see the show all around the country. But until they say anything we just have to keep our eyes peeled!
What are the COVID rules?
Delfont Mackintosh are no longer be checking COVID passes.
Read our full guide on West End COVID entry requirements
Who was in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton?
Lin-Manuel Miranda: Alexander Hamilton
Lin-Manuel Miranda not only played the role of one of America's Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton, but was also the writer, composer and lyricist of the show. Since leaving the role he has been busy working on soundtracks, including Disney's Moana and taking on a number of TV and film roles.
Lin played chimney sweep Jack in Mary Poppins Returns, Lee Scoresby in the TV series His Dark Materials, had a guest role in Brooklyn Nine Nine and even had an uncredited role as a soldier in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which he worked on the soundtrack for. A film version of his first Broadway show, In The Heights, is currently in post-production, where he plays the role of Piragua Guy.
Leslie Odom, Jr.: Aaron Burr
Leslie Odom Jr. won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance as Aaron Burr in the Broadway production. Since leaving the role, he has begun a music career, releasing a self-titled debut album in 2016, followed by Simply Christmas in 2018.
Leslie's film career includes the part of Dr. Arbuthnot in Kenneth Branagh's adaption of Murder on the Orient Express. He's also completed filming of One Night In Miami, where he plays Sam Cooke.
Phillipa Soo: Eliza Schuyler Hamilton
Phillipa Soo delivered an incredible performance as Hamilton's leading lady, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, but decided it was time to depart Hamilton at the same time as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. She went on to play the lead role in Amélie the musical.
Phillipa had a small role in Moana as a villager and is credited with singing the early draft of 'How Far I'll Go', one of the film's most popular songs. She also appeared on Broadway in The Parisian Woman from 2017-2018. In 2018, Phillipa was cast in TV series The Code, which ran for one series. In 2021 she will appear in the adventure/animation film, The One and Only Ivan.
Daveed Diggs, Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson
Daveed Diggs plays multiple roles in Hamilton, taking on the role of Marquis de Lafayette as well as Thomas Jefferson. Along with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Christopher Jackson, Diggs played his role from the 2014 Vassar workshop all the way to Broadway.
Post-Hamilton, Diggs had a recurring guest role as Johan Johnson on TV show black-ish, he played Andre Layton in the Netflix series Snowpiercer, and has voiced characters in a number of shows. He also wrote, produced and starred in comedy-drama film, Blindspotting (which also featured Jasmine Cephas Jones AKA Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds in Hamilton). He's also currently filming The Little Mermaid and will voice Sebastian the crab.
Renée Elise Goldsberry: Angelica Schuyler
Renée Elise Goldsberry won a Tony Award for her performance as the eldest Schuyler sister, Angelica. Pre-Hamilton, she starred in several Broadway shows including The Color Purple, The Lion King and Rent.
As part of her TV work, Renée starred as the title character in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and is a regular on Altered Carbon, playing the role of Quellcrist Falconer. She starred in the film The House with a Clock in its Walls and is also the voice of Ms. Nowhere on Fast & Furious Spy Racers.
Chris Jackson: George Washington
Chris Jackson is one of only three original Broadway cast members to have held his role since the 2014 Vassar workshop with Lin-Manuel and Daveed. He received a Tony nominee for his portrayal of George Washington and left the role in 2016. Prior to Hamilton, Chris played Simba in the Broadway production of The Lion King, and met Lin-Manuel when he played Benny in In The Heights.
In 2019, he took on the role of Peter Rivera in the TV mini-series When They See Us, voiced Shujaa in The Lion Guard from 2018-2019 and continued the role that he played whilst performing in Hamilton; Chunk Palmer in crime comedy, Bull. Jackson was also a special guest in Freestyle Love Supreme on Broadway. Christopher also provided the singing voice of Chief Tui in Moana.
Okieriete Onaodowan, Hercules Mulligan/James Madison
Prior to Hamilton, Okieriete performed in Rocky the Musical and was in the ensemble for the first national tour of Green Day-inspired show, American Idiot. He originated the roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in Hamilton, and left the show at the end of 2016.
After leaving Hamilton, Okieriete Onaodowan took over from Josh Groban in the main role of Pierre in the Tony-nominated musical Natasha. Fans of Grey's Anatomy and the spin-off Station 19 will recognise Okieriete for his role as firefighter Dean Miller. He will play the role of a policeman in A Quiet Place II and has finished filming comedy, Generation Wrecks, where he will play the lead character Brandon.
Anthony Ramos: John Laurens/Philip Hamilton
Before being in Hamilton, Anthony Ramons portrayed Sonny in Lin-Manuel's other musical In The Heights. After playing the dual role of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, Anthony has starred in a number of TV series, including comedy Will & Grace in the role of Tony and Mars Blackman in She's Gotta Have It. Anthony played Ramon in A Star Is Born, Staff Sergeant Martinez in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, voiced King Trollex in Trolls World Tour and has completed filming on the film adaptation of In The Heights, where he'll play the role of Usnavi de la Vega alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In October 2019, Ramos released his debut solo album The Good & The Bad. He is engaged to Jasmine Cephas Jones - his Hamilton co-star who played Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds and will also star alongside her in the film The Honest Thief.
Jonathan Groff: King George III
Jonathan Groff played the role of King George III and earned a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Having previously taken on TV roles, such as Jesse St. James in Glee, Jonathan decided to leave Hamilton in 2016 to play the role of FBI agent Holden Ford in the Netflix series Mindhunter.
Pre-Hamilton, Groff voiced the role of Kristoff in Disney's Frozen, a role he reprised in the 2019 sequel. He also originated the role of Melchior in musical Spring Awakening alongside his Glee co-star Lea Michele, and was nominated for Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Jonathan also performed in musicals Fame, Hair and Little Shop of Horrors, and will star in The Matrix 4, due for release in 2022.
Jasmine Cephas Jones: Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds
Jasmine Cephas Jones stayed in her roles of Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds longer than any of the other original cast members. After leaving, she went on to star alongside co-star Daveed Diggs in Blindspotting, and has had roles in TV series Mrs. Fletcher as Chloe and #Freerayshawn as Tyisha. She has finished filming Honest Thief, which also stars her fiancé Anthony Ramos (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton).
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