HAMILTON THE MUSICAL BRADFORD REVIEW
WEDNESDAY 12TH MARCH 2025 @ 2PM
BRADFORD ALHAMBRA
****.5 (4.5/5)
It’s been over a year since I last saw one of my favourite musicals on the stage. Hamilton has definitely taken the world by storm and it definitely feels very relevant right now. I think this is the third or fourth time I’ve seen the show and the second on this tour. However, with the recent cast change, I was excited to see new faces take on these iconic roles. Here’s my Hamilton the Musical Bradford review.
PRE-SHOW THOUGHTS
It’s safe to say that I know this musical pretty well, most musical theatre people do. I’ve listened to the soundtrack umpteenth times, watched the Disney+ filmed version a tonne and as I said before, seen the stage production a handful too. Whilst the soundtrack and film version are excellent, there’s just something so magical about the live stage version.
I was particularly excited to see Marley Fenton as Alexander Hamilton and Roshani Abbey as Eliza Hamilton as well as Billy Luke Nevers as Aaron Burr. In the previous cast, he played Lafayette/Jefferson and was exceptional in both roles. Burr is such a massive role vocally but I was sure he’d do it justice.
THE CAST
One of the highlights of seeing Hamilton is seeing an incredibly diverse cast, unlike so many other musicals. I’ll start with Marley Fenton playing Alexander Hamilton. When you’re so used to Lin Manuel Miranda’s face or voice, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role. However, I’ve always thought that with a great vocalist, Hamilton would sound even better. I absolutely adored Fenton’s take on the role, especially his voice. It felt like he added a little more personality to his version.
Next up was Jonathan Andre playing Aaron Burr and he has the most gorgeous voice! Even though he’s meant to be the villain, Andre made Burr really likeable. I’m always so impressed with covers, understudies and swings in any show but when Hamilton is so wordy, it’s even more impressive!
The Schuyler sisters were played by Roshani Abbey (Eliza), Chasity Crisp (Angelica) and Naomi Katiyo (Peggy/Maria Reynolds). Each brought their own twist to their role but complimented each other. The trio had such great chemistry, they could definitely pass as sisters or besties! Abbey played Eliza very light and caring and Crisp’s portrayal of Angelica was as strong as I’ve ever seen before. Katiyo’s vocals were excellent across her two roles too.
The other trio of besties were played by Ashley Daniels (Lafayette/Jefferson), KM Drew Boateng (Mulligan/Madison) and Shak Mancel James (Laurens/Philip Hamilton). Daniels was hilarious as both Lafayette and Jefferson and he was a real natural in both roles. Boateng’s deep voice was so soulful and he also played up the funniness of his roles more. Mancel James’ Philip Hamilton was so endearing and again, he was incredibly funny in the role. Once again, I was so impressed how all three managed to switch roles so seemingly after the interval.
THE PRODUCTION
I have to first say a hats off to the rest of the company. This show requires you to be a proper triple threat and it looks exhausting to be a part of too. Each cast member pulls their weight equally and I wish I could name every single one of them!
The soundtrack just comes to live in a live setting, with live vocals and an orchestra. I loved the extra runs and opt-ups that this cast took throughout the show in the vocal department. They played about a little with the melody of a few songs in their vocals and I loved the pace of it all.
In terms of the set, of course, I loved the revolving stage. I’m not sure that the show would work without it because a lot of the staging and choreography is built around having the revolve. I’ve always thought it was so clever how everything is always so seamless in this show too and this visit was no exception.
The only negative I had, which is why I gave it 4.5 stars, was the sound. I was sat in the top balcony and was struggling to hear quite a few of the cast members. It also felt like the music was turned up and then down frequently so I don’t know if it was just mixed differently. I’d have loved for the microphones to be turned up a little so I could hear the lyrics clearer.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It might not be a musical for everyone (I heard people complaining that they rapped too quickly) but it’s a show everyone should see. I particularly enjoyed a couple of the updates, such as King George’s Trump impression and the joke about vice president not being a real job. I’m not sure all of the audience understood them though!
I do have to say that the audience was filled with teenage school kids. Whilst most were very well-behaved, there was a trio behind me that talked pretty much non-stop. I was more annoyed that their teacher barely even told them off!
Hamilton is a show that I love watching but I also like to not watch it too much. It still feels fresh when you see it once a year or so because you’ll see different cast members shine in new roles. This cast in particular is outstanding across the board.
If this Hamilton the Musical Bradford review sounded like it’s your thing, you can catch it on tour across the country until next year. You can find the rest of the tour dates here.
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