As the touring production of Hamilton makes its highly anticipated stop in Cleveland, audiences will have the opportunity to experience the groundbreaking musical that is, hands down, the most popular piece of musical theater of its era. The Cleveland performances, which begin on June 17 and run through July 6, will mark the third time the touring production has visited Cleveland’s prestigious Playhouse Square district.
Hamilton tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton, following his life and legacy. (Spoiler alert: Hamilton dies.) While historically accurate, the show takes some artistic license to enhance the stage production. The music and lyrics of genius Lin-Manuel Miranda, however, have made the show the hottest ticket on Broadway for over a decade for a reason. It’s that damn good!
For this preview writer, any medium of entertainment, including but not limited to theater, comedy, and traditional concerts, are measured by expectations set by others. Too often, friends and critics alike overhype performances. While I’m often impressed and entertained, it’s rare for something to meet or exceed the expectations set by others. Perhaps it’s because I’m spoiled, being beyond fortunate to have seen so many performances; perhaps not. I was told that Hamilton was going to be one of, if not THE best shows I have ever seen. It didn’t live up to these expectations. It blew them out of the water. When writing my review after seeing the show for the first time, I struggled to find my words.
Dubbed by some as a “hip-hop” musical (I’m still confused by that), the fast-paced show also blends traditional elements that theater lovers have come to expect from Broadway productions. Simply put, this show is not to be missed!
Actrees Lily Soto, who takes on the dual roles of Maria Reynolds and Peggy Schuyler, phoned CleveRock’s interview line to what it’s like to bring one of Broadway’s most influential works to cities across the country, reflects on her journey as a performer, and offers her thoughts on why Hamilton continues to resonate so strongly with audiences today! Soto offers a glimpse into life on tour and why Clevelanders won’t want to miss this show while it’s in town!
Soto, although perhaps a little biased, agrees that Hamilton is one of the best shows of its time. She shared her thoughts about the first time she saw the show on Broadway.
“Honestly, I was mind blown about how much information, how much of the story is in the musical,” Soto said. “What we say when people go see Hamilton, it’s like sometimes you have to go see multiple times because it’s so great, but also there’s so much information. So, it’s like every time you see something, you notice something different or have a different experience. But when I first saw it, I saw the Broadway company at the time, and I was just seeing all the different types of people of color on stage and the representation and the musicality, because I love contemporary music. It was overwhelming joy coming from me watching it. It was just a great experience.”
Yes, the lyrics and music are the focal point of this show. But there is so much more! Soto was asked what patrons coming out to the show could keep their eyes peeled for.
“I mean, honestly, there’s so many little details, especially the costumes. And when you’re in a theater, sometimes you’re far away and you can’t really see the details, but the amount of detail precision that our costume people and go into it every little length is specific and they really take honor to the original of maintaining the integrity of the costumes and of the characters,” she said. “But our sound team and our lighting team, if you go back into where the sound people are, it’s like a whole world in itself of making sure of our mics are on and all the sound cues. We have a person who makes explicitly sure that our turntable is going where the dancers will be on and stuff. And if you’re watching the show, the ensemble characters have their own characters that they develop within themselves. And it’s really beautiful to watch when you really see the dancers and the specific things that they are storytelling through their dance. And it’s just really fun if you pay close attention to look at those moments during these numbers.”
Soto joined the cast of Hamilton in 2024, the same year that she graduated from college! This is her first major professional gig and first national touring production. She booked the role months before she finished school!
“Oh, it was crazy! I started the rehearsals in June of 2024, but I had booked it in February before I graduated, so I had known for months, but I wasn’t allowed to announce it yet. When I found out, I literally cried because this was my dream show,” Soto recalls. “The reality that I booked my dream show and my first professional show was just surreal, and I cried on the phone with my parents. I was just so excited, and I was ready for a new challenge. I was also nervous, too, as we all are, but I was so grateful, and I continue to be grateful every day for this amazing opportunity that I get to be a part of this show and the legacy that it has.”
The life of a touring performer is glamorous, but also can be stressful and grueling at times. Soto finds that the road life suits her, and she loves her opportunity to be part of Hamilton.
“It’s definitely a different type of lifestyle and I had never experienced before, but honestly, it’s an opportunity that not many people get to have to experience different cities and get to play to different audiences, and I’m definitely enjoying my time and going to states that I’ve never been to before and trying new things and just trying to make the best of all the experiences I’ll be having on the tour,” she said.
Hamilton cast members only have one day off per week. Like everyone else on the planet, performers have bad days; days when they aren’t feeling 100%, days when they are tired, and days they might not feel like going to work. Most hide it well, and audiences are none the wiser. How does the cast keep up their passion, night in and night out?
“It’s hard to, especially over a year, we do eight shows a week and only have Mondays off for the entire year,” Soto said. “What I’ve experienced is just really relying on my castmates and keeping, as much as we have choreography and stuff on stage, we also have that off stage and backstage where we have moments of rest and moments to chat with our castmates or just encourage each other or just have little moments backstage before we go on show. And that kind of keeps us in the moment and ready to go on. We have a sense of camaraderie in the backstage area, and that’s honestly what helps me get through the shows every day and just do the best performance that I can.”
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As to what attracted her to Hamilton and, specifically, the roles she auditioned for:
“When I first came across Hamilton, it was in high school, and so luckily they had the album out and I was really attracted to the style of music and the way that they integrated musical theater and contemporary music, specifically with hip-hop, pop and R&B,” Soto said. “The soundtrack was amazing, and I was a musician in high school, so I was really in love with the music. And when I got more into the story, my favorite character was Peggy/Maria. And that’s because of the duality of it, because whoever plays this character is playing two different people. So you have Peggy Schuyler in the first act, and then you have Maria Reynolds in the second act. And basically these two different characters are completely different and kind of show with Peggy Skyler, how she comes from a very affluent family and she’s super young and she’s experiencing the world from the first time. And then Maria Reynolds comes from a different background, which has no money, is in a very unhealthy relationship and what she had to do against her will during those times. So it shows the two different types of women, but coming from two different types of background. So I was really attracted to that in terms of an acting standpoint.”
Learning one character for a show can be difficult. Learning two….Well, Soto says it was no sweat!
“It wasn’t necessarily challenging in a way, but it was more exciting because with Peggy and Maria, just to show two different sides of myself,” she said. “I feel like as people, we have multiple talents, multiple things that we share, or loving or giving, giving or we’re funny or silly. With Peggy, I get to really embrace all the silly sides of myself. And with Maria, I get to really show my emotional vulnerability and more of my sassiness. So it was honestly fun to show those sides of myself, and wasn’t necessarily more on the challenging side, but more fun.“
It’s hard for an audience member to pick a favorite moment; probably even more difficult for someone involved in the production. Somehow, Soto was able to pinpoint one number that stands out from the rest for her.
“My favorite number to do is ‘Schuyler Sisters’ and getting to do it with my female castmates,” she said. “It’s just a female empowerment and it’s experiencing a new city and the endless possibilities of change. Specifically, when we’re in the, we call it the alcove, is where we are before we enter the number. It’s like having this special moment with the sisters. We’re hyping each other up before we go, and that’s just my favorite part of the show.”
Lastly, instead of asking why Clevelanders should check out Hamilton when it’s in town (the show sells itself), Soto was quizzed on what drives the show’s success. What makes it the head of its class?
“To me, it’s a blend of music and culture all into one,” Soto said. “It’s the way that we’re telling history through the eyes of people of color and associating with the history of today, and also of the blending of music genres and showing how things continue to evolve and change in beautiful ways, and creating new types of works. And I think that’s just why people really fall in love with Hamilton. It’s the blend of all of these brilliant ideas coming into one beautiful piece.”
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