To say that the Australian production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton was hotly anticipated is an understatement. Rarely has there been so much interest in a forthcoming stage show, with wall-to-wall media coverage and bookings going through the roof. Does the show warrant the attention? Does the Australian production match the award-winning Broadway version, seen not just on stage but by millions around the world thanks to the Disney+ recording?

Oh my goodness, yes! The musical itself and the Australian production are both sensational. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the book, lyrics and music and played the title role on Broadway, used rap in his earlier musical In The Heights, but the rapped-and-sung-through Hamilton is unlike any other musical I have ever seen. It makes you dizzy with its ambition, intelligence, verbal dexterity and electrifying score.

Chloé Zuel and Jason Arrow. Photograph © Daniel Boud

In performing it here, the Australian cast more than rise to the occasion, bringing their own Australian vibe to their performances, and the opening night audience responded as if they were at a rock concert.

One of Miranda’s themes in Hamilton is the question of legacy:...