Review: Chicago’s ‘Spamilton’ is 'Hamilton’ turned upside down (Chicago Tribune) [x]:
[…] Before some “whippersnapper student of rap” penned “Hamilton,” “Forbidden Broadway” was about as current as “1776.” But with “Spamilton,” which delivers nonstop laughs to anyone with enough knowledge of “Hamilton” to get the gags, which must be at least half of Chicagoland, Alessandrini has come roaring back like a really big, ecstatically happy head of hair dancing atop the competitive noggin of Daveed Diggs.
You have to appreciate Alessandrini’s new satiric business model: follow “Hamilton” around the globe.
Ergo, “Spamilton,” which I first saw off-Broadway last season, opened Sunday night at the Royal George Cabaret with half of the Chicago cast of “Hamilton” in wildly enthusiastic attendance. Their number included Wayne Brady, who seemed tellingly amused by the ditty set to the music of “The Room Where it Happens,” wherein all the actors whose careers were created by the show sing neurotically of reprising their roles in “The Film When It Happens.” (Their worst nightmare? Neil Patrick Harris as Alexander Hamilton).
A long-standing truth about “Forbidden Broadway” is that in order to be sufficiently funny, the performers have to (at least) be the equals of those whom they are parodying, especially when it comes to the vocals and the choreography. A tall order for an all-Chicago cast with “Hamilton,” you might think, but this truly stellar local crew (which I mostly preferred to the New York cast) perform like they’re auditioning for the main gig — which history suggests might well end up being the case.
The famous “blue-collar/shining beacon/Puerto Rican” is played by Yando Lopez, an actor with a face so fresh that the owner of the visage he is mocking surely would find it a cautionary tale of how fast the innocent can wrinkle. Lopez has a better vocal instrument than Miranda, actually, and a guileless way with Alessandrini’s gags. He’s deftly supported by the dry Donterrio Johnson, the even drier David Robbins (a big guy who is not above coming out as Annie Warbucks) and the ebullient Michelle Lauto, whose dynamic performance, as pretty much all the women of “Hamilton,” should be a big break for her.
The real revolution here is led by Eric Andrew Lewis, who blows out the room as Aaron Burr, even though the script first has him playing Wayne Brady as Burr (one of the disappointingly few local references) and, just a few minutes later, Leslie Odom Jr.
Adam LaSalle — a cheap producer’s dreams — plays the piano all night long, and also pops out as King George, whose signature number “You’ll Be Back” has been retooled as “Straight is Back,” a reference to the oft-discussed heteronormative currents behind “Hamilton” (as opposed to, say, “Kinky Boots”).
“Gay, gay, gay, gay gay,” LaSalle warbles in the show’s much-loved singalong, wagging his finger in admonition.
It’s all in good fun, of course, and it’s a fair criticism of this show to say that Alessandrini is perhaps too much in love with “Hamilton” and too admiring of its creator to really skewer the show as, say, “SNL” goes after Sean Spicer. (“Spamilton” stays away from money and the backstage dramas, mostly.) He also can’t quite let go of the core of his franchise, so (on opening night, at least) Christine Pedi made a guest appearance in the show as various Broadway divas (Bernadette, Barbra and Liza with Lauto adding an Audra), all wanting to get a piece of the “Hamilton” elixir of life.
I’d have preferred some more updated material — plenty has happened with “Hamilton” since this show opened in New York (Mike Pence, Oscar Lopez Rivera, a drunk in the mezzanine), and there were some missed opportunities to freshen. Still, most of the original material is very funny, and that is what really matters with a show like this one. People howled with delight all night — sometimes jumping to their feet, or at least stamping them on the floor, especially when the deadpan Lewis let loose.
Review: “Spamilton” (3.5 stars)
When: Through May 14
Where: Royal George Cabaret Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St.
Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Tickets: $59-$99 at 312-988-9000 or spamilton.com
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