Ever since I first heard “Hamilton” in 2015, I’ve been hooked. I’ve listened to the original Broadway cast recording too many times to count and, at one point, had it memorized from beginning to end. For me, as for many others, “Hamilton” sparked a lasting fascination with both music and American history. So when I heard the show was coming to Boston’s Citizens Opera House from Sept. 23 to Nov. 2, 2025, I was thrilled.
I’m not here to give you a review of the musical itself; after a decade, the semi-historical drama is a cultural touchstone. What matters for those of us fascinated with the original 2015 Broadway production, whether from seeing it in person, through the cast album or the 2020 film, is the distinct, if subtle, differences in Boston’s staging. In a nutshell, the 2025 production has more energy but less emotion.
The first thing that struck me was the cast, which excels in different ways than the original company. Many performers deliver spoken lines with authority and conviction, but they don’t always match the original cast’s vocal depth.
The center of gravity shifts, too. In the original Broadway production, Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Angelica Schuyler (Renée Elise Goldsberry) stole the show, while Lin-Manuel Miranda, despite his extraordinary writing, never quite dominated the stage as Alexander Hamilton. Here, Burr (Jimmie Jetter) and Angelica (Marja Harmon) feel less central; Hamilton (Tyler Fauntleroy) commands the spotlight. Meanwhile, Nathan Haydel as John Laurens, and Kai Thomani Tshikosi as Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, bring new weight to roles that felt peripheral in the original.
Some cases are more complicated. A.D. Weaver’s George Washington is unmistakably presidential. His deep, steady voice cuts through the ensemble, and he takes the spotlight whenever he steps onstage. At times, though, the performance is too collected. He reflects on the deaths of his battalion in “History Has Its Eyes on You” in the same measured tone he uses to rap about mutiny and defeat in “Right Hand Man” or to open the “Cabinet Battle #1” and “Cabinet Battle #2.” Weaver’s authority is constant, but his emotional range narrows as a result.
Beyond the stylistic changes, this production presents a more lighthearted interpretation of “Hamilton,” trading gravity for pacing. The clearest example is Burr. Jetter is a highly skilled live actor, and he extracts laughs not obvious in the text. He turns Burr into the show’s droll, mocking nexus, and the audience cracked up whenever he spoke.
But Jetter’s choice trades away something essential. In the original, Burr is a tragic, Hamlet-esque figure, whose doubt and indecision leave him in the arrogant Hamilton’s shadow until, finally, he snaps and chases power to seize control of his life and legacy. The emotional and thematic core of the musical rests on Hamilton and Burr’s parallel falls, both learning too late that power will never satisfy and that a legacy can’t be forced. The spunk and levity of Jetter’s Burr add a dash of humor to the production, but diminish its impact.
“The Room Where It Happens,” the piece most central to Burr’s character development, crystallizes the trade-off. It’s here that Hamilton tells Burr he’ll finally take his famous advice: “Talk less, smile more.” In the original, there’s a wry edge, but both men are dead serious, already pulling apart in jealousy. In this production, Hamilton raises his voice in exaggerated impersonation, and Burr answers with an eye roll and dry laughter, drawing a big laugh. The exchange perks up the song’s somewhat monotone opening, but also lightens the stakes, setting up a staging in which Burr tears around the stage, mouth open, the butt of the joke.
Musically, lines often land just slightly off the beat: words are sped up or stretched out, giving several numbers an unpredictable, staccato rhythm. The original used this technique sparingly; this production leans on it far more often. Paired with the comic tilt, that rhythmic choice reframes the story as a portrait of charismatic personalities trash-talking their way through the nation’s founding, rather than a smooth, inexorable arc toward personal tragedy.
All that said, this production of “Hamilton” is fresh and distinctive, one that much of the Boston audience appreciated. The performance ran until almost 11 p.m., yet the cast’s high energy kept viewers engaged the entire time. Its shortcomings stood out mainly because the benchmark is the original “Hamilton,” an exceptionally high bar that this production just misses. While it’s in Boston, “Hamilton” is certainly worth seeing; there’s almost nothing like it.
