After ten years, the original cast of “Hamilton” reunited for a special anniversary performance at the 78th Tony Awards.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Okieriete Onaodowan, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Jonathan Groff, Anthony Ramos, Ariana DeBose and the original ensemble members reprised their roles to sing a medley.
The medley included parts of “Non-Stop,” “My Shot,” “The Schuyler Sisters,” “Guns and Ships,” “You’ll Be Back,” “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down),” “The Room Where It Happens” and “History Has Its Eyes on You.”
The performance was nostalgic, powerful, passionate, sentimental, and more than anything, a political statement.
Watching the original cast return to the stage did not just feel like a celebration. It felt like a reminder to look at what is happening in the world around us.
To viewers and fans online, the performance was stacked with symbolism. The cast performed wearing all black outfits which many believed represented mourning for the loss of ideal democracy. Diggs, who portrayed Lafayette, wore a beret and one glove, the same accessories that the Black Panther Party wore during the civil rights movement.
The only colorful attire during the performance was that of Groff, who portrayed King George III. Groff wore a red blazer, which fans online theorized was more than just representation of the King’s red cape from the original musical or the red coats British soldiers wore during the Revolutionary War. Instead, fans suggested it was a nod to President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats, which are now synonymous with the bright red color.
Some theories go a step further by suggesting that it is a reference to earlier this year when President Trump referred to himself as a king on his social platform Truth Social, followed by the official White House social media accounts on X, Instagram and Facebook quoting his post and sharing a fake magazine cover showing Trump smiling and wearing a golden crown.
The song choices themselves delivered messages of their own. Miranda rapped “My Shot,” a song about not being complacent and making a mark on the world while looking straight at the camera with a sense of anger and empowerment.
“The Room Where It Happens” hits hard especially when you consider that decisions are often made behind closed doors, not taking in mind the voices of those the decisions will affect.
A prominent part of the medley was “History Has Its Eyes on You.” Jackson delivered an emotional performance that also served as a reminder to leaders and viewers alike that their choices and actions will define their legacy.
Of course, one could say that these are all merely coincidences or that people are looking too deep into the performance, but “Hamiton” has never been shy about where it stands.
In 2016, when Vice President Mike Pence attended a performance, the cast used their curtain call to deliver a direct message. That message emphasized the importance of inclusivity, the anxiety and fear that many marginalized communities felt with the administration.
More recently “Hamilton” was scheduled to have a 2026 run at the Kennedy Center, but after President Trump fired the center’s former President, Deborah Rutter, and named himself as chairman, the show’s producers and Miranda decided to cancel the show’s run.
“The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we’re not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center. We’re just not going to be part of it,” Miranda said.
Even when “Hamilton” debuted in 2015, it felt like a revolution and not just for musical theatre–even though it made quite an impact there as well. The musical won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, a Grammy Award, Olivier Award, Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.
“Hamilton” reclaimed the narrative around the American Founding through a diverse and hip-hop infused lens. It casted all its lead actors as people of color instead of a white cast that would have been historically accurate. The immigrant experience was also a highlighted part in the story of Alexander Hamilton.
If anything, these narratives have become more relevant in an era of increasing political polarization. Lines from “Hamilton,” including “Immigrants, we get the job done” have gotten a spotlight amidst protests across the nation against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Hamilton” is a show that has and will continue to stand the test of time, not only because it helps students pass their U.S. history tests, the catchy yet lyrically beautiful songs or the amazing performances every cast has delivered. It also stands out because it made a conversation about revisiting American history digestible. It used theater and art as a form of resistance.
That is why this reunion performance was so important. It was not just about looking back but urging us to look forward. It also reminded us that while you cannot control “who lives, who dies, who tells your story,” we do have control over our own actions in our own narrative.
Ximena Cordero is the web and copy editor for The Prospector and may be reached at [email protected]
