Jason Arrow was in the middle of a severe lockdown in Melbourne when he received a call that would change his life After a audition process that took more than a year, Arrow’s agent called to say he had won the theater’s most popular role – the title role in Hamilton
“My agent called and said I would probably sit down – and clearly it will be 2020, with COVID and everything that happens I think has something to do with that,” Arrow said
« Then he said they wanted me to play Alexander Hamilton and I think I was speechless for 10 minutes in many ways, still completely speechless I turned off the phone and emptied the dishwasher »
Arrow graduated from the prestigious Music Theater School of the Western Australian Academy of Dramatic Art (WAAPA) in 2016 before landing in supporting roles in Aladdin and Beautiful: The Carole King Music When Hamilton opens the opening in Sydney in March, it will be his debut In the title role
« I still can’t find the words to describe this kind of path, » he said, « It’s a great feeling. I’m so grateful for this opportunity. It’s equal parts scary and equal excitement »
Program producer Michael Cassel and the Native American creative team – including creator Lyn Manuel Miranda – began the casting process shortly after the Australian season was announced in 2019 Early auditions were held in the room but when the pandemic hit, the cast filmed auditions. Their own and sent them while doing other auditions via Zoom The unconventional approach to casting meant the entire process was over – the initial plan was to announce the cast when tickets went on sale in May
In the end, 33 of the 35 cast members were found in Australia while two of the actors who appeared in the American version of Hamilton were
When the Australian season was announced, Broadway’s original producer, Jeffrey Seeler, said commitment to diverse casting remained a key factor in the show.
« Lynn wrote the role of George Washington for a friend who is a man of color and a hip-hop artist, he would have played Hamilton who is a Latin American. If you were writing a show that used hip hop as a strong element, it is natural for the performers to be diverse. “Hip hop is a pure experience for the African American community, and it makes perfect sense for people to play these roles, sing R&B, and sing hip hop music, to be from these communities because we have been choosing people to serve the music and the lyrics of the song.”
For Australian productions, the cast includes three First Nations artists plus actors of African, Mauritian, Caribbean, Asian, Pacific Islander and Latino descent.
Lyndon Watts plays Hamilton’s political rival Aaron Burr, who was recently seen as Bernardo on the Australian Tour for West Side Story Famous stage musical artist Chloe Zoel, who starred in Six at the Sydney Opera House, will play Hamilton’s wife Eliza, while Akina Edmunds, who played Janelle Woods in Beautiful Versus the Arrow, will play Elisa’s sister Angelica Elander Jeremy will play Schuyler’s third sister, Peggy.
The remaining main group consists of Mato Nagarobo as George Washington, Victorian Ndukoy in the double role of Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, and Shaka Cook as Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, and Marty Alex will play Philip, son of Hamilton who will play the only Caucasian star, King George III, a school star Rock Brent Hill
Arrow, a man of color from South Africa, said he was touched when he saw the diverse cast for the first time
“I didn’t think I would have an emotional reaction to that, but I felt I was recovering a little bit,” he said, “It’s not something you see often and until you see you don’t realize how rare it is, it really arrives home. This is a moment to celebrate. Turning point «
Miranda said he is excited about what the team has achieved after a long selection process.
“I am very excited about the actors we gathered for the Hamilton movie premiere in Australia,” he said, “While theaters around the world have been forced to temporarily close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we took this time to put together a really cool set to tell this story led by Jason. Arrow as Alexander Hamilton, this actor has talent, warmth and incredible strength. I know they’ll stir and move audiences in Sydney when it’s safe to return. ”
The show tells the life story of Alexander Hamilton, who rose from poverty to become one of the founding fathers of America the play uses hip-hop, rap, R&B and traditional musical theater to tell, in Miranda’s words, « The Story of America That America Told Now » won 11 Tony Awards , A Pulitzer Prize and several Oliver Awards for the London season.
The cast will meet in late January to begin rehearsals before the March 17 premiere. More tickets will be released on Friday with shows continuing through September
Nathanael Cooper is a prominent cultural writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age with a focus on music
Hamilton, Lyn Manuel Miranda, Broadway, Australia, Musical Theater
World News – AU – “My agent called and said I must sit”: Hamilton star talks about a life role
