Broadway’s latest musical hit Hamilton has revealed it has its eyes firmly set on the West End following last week’s phenomenal reviews.
London’s Evening Standard reported that the show’s creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda has commented: “We’re hoping it will happen sooner rather than later. My wife is always trying to get me to other countries so I would be honoured to open the show in London.”
Hamilton has become one of New York’s most talked about shows in recent weeks, collecting a string of rave reviews and an even more impressive list of high profile fans including President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Telling the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, the rap and hip-hop musical follows the unlikely politician from his humble beginnings to George Washington’s right hand man. Inspired by the book by Ron Chernow and featuring music, lyrics and a book by Miranda (In The Heights), Hamilton’s life provided plenty of material, from being at the centre of the country’s first sex scandal to earning his place as a war hero.
In its glowing review, Variety praised the show’s eclectic music, saying: “Instead of keeping to a single uniform musical style (hip-hop or otherwise), as traditional shows often have, Miranda continues to draw from all available styles and musical sources, from nursery lullaby to rock ‘n’ roll and operetta, in order to capture the soul of a character and the spirit of the moment. If this sort of thing catches on, the old, reliable Broadway showtune may be a thing of the past.”
While a West End future remains unconfirmed for the show, London theatregoers can catch another Broadway hit this month, as New York’s Tony Award-winning Kinky Boots begins its run at the Adelphi Theatre from 21 August.