32 February 28 • 2019
jn
Here Comes
Hamilton
Meet the Jews in “the room where it happens.”
H
amilton fans in the Motor City
are celebrating as the Tony
Award-winning juggernaut
about America’
s newly hip Founding
Father heads to the Fisher Theatre for
performances March 12-April 21.
This groundbreaking hip-hop/jazz/
rap/R&B musical, with a nod to more
traditional Broadway tunes, captures the
spirit of Alexander Hamilton and the
Revolutionary War era and boasts plenty
of Jewish contributions to creator Lin-
Manuel Miranda’
s genius production.
Lead producer Jeffrey
Seller, the Oak Park native
who attended Temple
Israel and the University
of Michigan and recently
donated $1 million to
Detroit’
s Mosaic Youth
Theatre, was a proponent
for the project from the beginning.
“Hamilton’
s story reflects the long
line of Jewish immigrants who came to
America’
s shores seeking opportunity to
better their lives,
” Seller says. “He gets on
a boat to New York to further his edu-
cation, prospects and opportunities, and
we see a direct line to the Jews of Eastern
Europe who came to the United States
for the same reason.
”
Hamilton shares the Founding Fathers’
compelling story. Born out of wedlock,
he lived on the Caribbean islands of
Nevis and St. Croix. His mother died
when he was young, and he was aban-
doned by his father. While still a teen-
ager, he traveled to America, settling in
New York City.
Overcoming numerous obstacles
along the way, he attended King’
s
College (later Columbia University),
co-authored the Federalist Papers (a
series of 85 essays urging citizens to
ratify the new U.S. Constitution), served
as George Washington’
s aide during
the Revolutionary War, founded the
Federalist Party and the Coast Guard,
and became the first treasury secretary.
Along the way, he married and had
seven children.
In 1804, at age 47, he was killed in
a duel by his rival, Aaron Burr, whose
character’
s story intertwines with
Hamilton’
s throughout the musical.
Noted for its groundbreaking casting
of non-white actors as the Founding
Fathers and other historical figures,
Hamilton introduces playgoers to George
Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette,
Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and
others. Some of the actors play dual
roles, switching to new characters in the
second act. King George III provides
comic relief.
Notably, Daveed Diggs, the son of a
Jewish mother and African American
father, originated the dual role of
Lafayette and Jefferson on Broadway and
won the Tony Award for Best Supporting
Actor for his inspired performance.
The Detroit cast includes Joseph
Morales as Alexander Hamilton, Nik
Walker as Aaron Burr, Erin Clemons as
Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, Kyle Scatliffe as
Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson,
Marcus Choi as George Washington,
Elijah Malcomb as John Laurens/Philip
Hamilton and Fergie L. Phillips as
Hercules Mulligan/James Madison.
Miranda read Jewish Pulitzer Prize-
winning historian Ron Chernow’
s biog-
theater
arts&life
ALICE BURDICK SCHWEIGER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Jeffrey Seller
SHANE BURKE
A national
touring cast of
Hamilton
JOAN MARCUS