“Just you wait…just you wait”
With priority booking having sold out its allocation ahead of public booking opening on Monday 30th January (12pm), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton has certainly had its share of advance publicity and it is certainly proving reluctant to leave the spotlight as it has now announced initial casting for several of its key roles.
Christine Allado (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds), Rachelle Ann Go (Eliza Hamilton), Tarinn Callender (Hercules Mulligan/James Madison), Rachel John (Angelica Schuyler), Jason Pennycooke (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Cleve September (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Giles Terera (Aaron Burr) and Obioma Ugoala (George Washington) will open the London production later this year, with further casting to be announced at a later date.
I’m particularly excited for John’s Angelica (she was most impressive in The Bodyguard recently) and Terera has long been a favourite around these parts so his Aaron Burr, sir, will undoubtedly be a highlight of the show. Alexander Hamilton himself remains uncast, though given how many alumni of In The Heights are appearing here, it is tempting to think that they’ll go back into the barrio once more and choose Sam Mackay (please!!). And King George III is the other key role still empty, the cameo(ish) nature of the part meaning that it might well tempt a big name to join the company – who would you like to see? Jonathan Groff perhaps or someone British?
And if you don’t get tickets in this next release (booking until 30th June 2018 in the first instance), I wouldn’t worry too much as there will be a weekly lottery, a daily lottery, and the possibility that extra seats will become available once the refurb of the Victoria Palace is complete. You may well yet get satisfied.