We knew the story. We knew the songs. But seeing Hamilton performed live at the Fox Theater gave us a unique experience.
As the lights dimmed, we were transported back to 1776. The Tony Award-winning musical is taking the stage at the Fox Theater until September 20th, bringing its familiar story of ambition, politics, and revolution right here to Atlanta.
It’s been ten years since the original Broadway production of Hamilton, and the impact is still clear. The musical has changed the way audiences experience history. Though most fans have seen the “pro-shot” on Disney+, the way the show blends hip hop into traditional musical theater is still magical. It is not uncommon for old fans seeing it live for the first time to compare it to the pro-shot. Atlanta teen Harley Satterfield, 14, had been a Hamilton fan for 3 years and said: “I was comparing the actors to the originals pretty often.”
However, watching it live is a completely different experience. The cast at Fox Theater showed that its influence has not faded. Their energy as they commanded the crowd and matched the audience made it clear that they’ve kept the story relevant and exciting years later. They not only turned it into a comedy, but also conveyed the strong emotions the pro-shot seemed to lack.
Tyler Fauntlroy’s Alexander Hamilton was able to go from mocking Burr one moment, and then the next, you could feel how downright fed up he was with him. This was most apparent in their performance of “Non-Stop” and “Room Where It Happens,” and the same could be said for Deon’te Goodmans’ Aaron Burr. Again, in “Room Where It Happens,” you could feel Burr’s frustration slowly rising throughout the song as Alexander gets everything he wants. It keeps you hooked as Tyler does an exceptional job of instigating him and puts you on the edge of your seat even if you’ve heard the songs a million and one times. Zihanya Sanchez, 14, who has been a fan for 3 years, states that “I would say Maria and Jefferson were better than the original.”
Another noticeable difference was the charisma in both Christian Magby’s and Elive Ellis’s takes on Thomas Jeffson and King George III, respectively. Both commanded the crowd to sing along and cheer; you couldn’t help but join in. Overall, you could tell the whole cast was having the time of their life performing. Even minor characters like Wesley Valdez’s Samuel Seabury, Jack Bianchi’s Charles Lee, and Andre Malcom’s George Eacker were incredibly funny and managed to leave a lasting impression with their songs. Atlanta teen Jordan Davis, 19, has been a fan since 2020 and had seen the show live before, but still stated: “I prefer the delivery of these actors compared to most others.”
