Exclusive interview: Hamilton's Jason Arrow shares why you don't need to know American history to enjoy Hamilton
Hamilton is a musical that cleverly weaves wordplay, intricate rhymes, and haunting melodies, telling the story of America's founding father in a refreshing way.
Premiering on Broadway in August 2015 to wide critical and audience acclaim, Hamilton has won 11 Tony Awards, on top of Grammy, and Olivier Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama – a testament to its worldwide appeal. Its innovative and fresh score is a blend of hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway by Lin-Manuel Miranda which cleverly weaves wordplay, intricate rhymes, and haunting melodies.
For the local audience on this side of the planet, we may ask if this musical about the founding father of America will resonate with us? If you are still sitting on the fence about getting your tickets to Hamilton, read on for a Yahoo-exclusive interview where Yahoo Life Singapore got chatting with the main lead Jason Arrow, who plays Hamilton himself, to explain why you will enjoy Hamilton even if you are not familiar or particularly invested in American history. We snuck a peek as to how he strikes a balance helming the lead role in a demanding role such as Hamilton, what he's looking forward to experiencing in Singapore, and also to share some behind-the-scenes nuggets.
With Hamilton being extended for an extra run in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands, you should probably run, not walk, to secure your tickets to the musical running from 19 April To 9 June 2024 at Sands Theatre.
Yahoo Life Singapore: The audience in this part of the world may not necessarily be well-versed with Hamilton or American history. If you were to give an introduction to Hamilton and the musical, what would you say to your audience?
Jason Arrow: Honestly Hamilton’s reach continues to surprise me greatly! Right now, we are performing in Abu Dhabi where the show has been received so well. Bear in mind this is a city that has only seen one other musical before us and so to go from The Lion King to Hamilton is a huge content shift!
My point is: that Hamilton has less to do with American history than people may think and a lot more to do with how these people cultivated a nation through grit and determination while focusing on how taxing that can be on a person and their respective relationships.
Hamilton revolutionised how we can tell stories on stage, it also showed how well audiences can ingest information and at quite a pace too!
What do you think makes Hamilton worth watching, even for those who are not invested in American history and politics?
The show uses politics as a vehicle to tell the story. Many musicals use content vehicles to push a narrative along, and is essentially Plot vs Story – the story being the characters' inner journey and the plot being the points of action.
And that is what Hamilton does, using politics to create scenarios that create pressure and stress, causing inner and outer conflicts resulting in some amazing scenes and character revelations!
Hamilton has won worldwide praise, namely 11 Tony Awards, Grammy, Olivier Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In your opinion, what has led to the musical winning these awards?
Every once in a while, a musical comes along and changes the landscape of Music Theatre. Before Hamilton it was Wicked! Hamilton revolutionised how we can tell stories on stage, it also showed how well audiences can ingest information and at quite a pace too! There's something about how Hamilton pokes at the underlying factors of being human. It takes these titans of American history and says, that they had failings and pitfalls too. I think that humanity and connection to the inner person have contributed greatly to its success.
What's it like a day in the life of an actor in Hamilton? What sort of prep work do you go through?
It can vary greatly from being a very easily managed day to feeling like you’re completely out of control. For me, I try to keep a few constants so that'd be: eating well and tapering down closer to the show, going to the gym to warm up body and mind, and then heading into work trying my hardest to keep the show level in my mind.
It is ok to make mistakes, it is ok to fail and ultimately that does not make you any less human, if anything. It is what makes us human.
Now what I mean by "level in my mind", is that doing something as demanding as musical theatre, let alone Hamilton, can really wreak havoc on your mental load and so I try and ground the idea of what theatre is in my brain. Essentially, I try and normalize it as much as possible, this helps me get through the demands of Hamilton daily and has ensured my longevity for the last 3 years playing the role.
Hamilton is extremely popular and the show has been extended due to popular demand in Singapore. How do you keep yourself going through a season run? Does fatigue and exhaustion ever kick in?
Fatigue and Exhaustion are like Death and Taxes, they’re inevitable haha. Yes, they happen and the best way to get rid of them is to listen to your body. If that means not going to the gym that day or sleeping in a bit longer or (even though this doesn’t happen very often) calling out so our amazing swings and standbys can step in and do their jobs, then that’s what needs to be done. In a longer season, it’s about managing the long game, not trying to destroy yourself. That’d be like trying to sprint an entire marathon, I wouldn’t suggest it.
As a theatrical actor, there's no chance to skive on stage. What is it like to give your best every single night (or day) of performance? What do you do to psyche yourself up on days when you are not feeling tip-top?
The audience! The audience plays an integral part in a show, it's a scene partner when a monologue or solo is happening, and it's a soundboard for the humour and emotional plotting of the show. It's also a reflection of the pacing of the show, the responses can tell us everything.
That’s what gets me through, listening to the audience and interacting with them knowing that they’ve taken time out of their day and money out of their pocket to be here and for some of them it may be their first show and it may also be their last. I can never take that for granted.
As one of the main leads, is there pressure when you perform? What steps do you actively take to balance your emotions and stress levels?
Yes and no, there used to be a pressure that I felt but I think that was coming more externally and from me wanting validation. Thankfully that has changed, we also changed the director after Sydney so different perspectives helped and I settled into being my version of Hamilton.
This settling down process has taken the edge off but on those days when it gets a bit too stressful, meditation helps. I started meditation halfway through Melbourne and it helped with managing stress when it rears its head.
How do you and your cast members have fun and let down your hair? Do you have any favourite activities you indulge in?
Everyone varies in what they do and need day to day! I know I’m personally keen on getting back to Singapore, I loved it last time I worked there and I’m looking forward to going back and exploring a bit more.
Some like to go out for a dance on a Sunday night and others like to take a day trip somewhere. So, if you have any bar, club, or day spot suggestions, hit me up on Instagram haha.
What do you personally love about Hamilton?
I love that the show constantly shifts, I'm still not bored of acting in it, which is a huge deal in theatre. A lot of people like moving on for creativity but Hamilton has such a high cast retention rate because the show is very creatively stimulating and requires attention to detail from its cast.
Which is your favourite scene or musical number? Why?
I love (and dislike haha) My Shot! Love it because it’s so difficult and so engaging, requiring massive attention from everyone on stage. And I dislike it for those same reasons. Sometimes when it's one of those low-energy or stressful days, that song can be tough. But we prevail and in the end, it feels great!
I love Singapore! It’s so modern yet so connected and beautiful. The people are amazing, it is unbelievably clean and has a great balance of all things.
What's the most exciting part about being part of the Hamilton cast? What do you look forward to the most during every run?
It's different in every company, so this is the second company I've been a part of and for the International Tour, I'd say my favourite part has been seeing the world. I get to experience new places, new cultures, and new people.
I’ve never been a huge fan of visiting a place for a week or so because I don’t feel like I’ve seen it as a local does. But when you're there for a few months you begin to feel what it's like to live there and that, I absolutely LOVE!
What do you wish the audience to walk away with after watching the performance?
Even these titans of American history were flawed humans and as such I don't see why we should put pressure on ourselves to be perfect all the time.
It is ok to make mistakes, it is ok to fail and ultimately that does not make you any less human, if anything. It is what makes us human.
What are you looking forward to (doing/eating/buying) in Singapore?
I’m looking forward to Singapore in its entirety. I love Singapore! It’s so modern yet so connected and beautiful. The people are amazing, it is unbelievably clean and has a great balance of all things. I enjoyed my time there once before and I will enjoy my time there again, I have no doubts!
Even these titans of American history were flawed humans and as such I don’t see why we should put pressure on ourselves to be perfect all the time.
Ticketing details
The international tour of Hamilton is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater, and Michael Cassel. The Singapore season is presented by Base Entertainment Asia, under the direction of Chantal Prudhomme.
Following unprecedented demand, Hamilton’s Singapore season has been extended for two additional weeks with no further extensions possible. The strictly limited season runs from 19 April To 9 June 2024 at Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. Get your tickets now!
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