#thebullet

[. . .] “I always say, it’s one of those things that is perfect,” said Chris Lee, who plays the dual roles of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson (this happens with several actors and characters, so don’t be confused – it’s just a “Hamilton” thing). “When the dude said let’s take cheese, meat and bread and call it a sandwich, somehow, it was perfect. This is kind of that thing in performing arts. All of the elements work together in an American story told by people who look like America. You hear ‘hip-hop musical’ and think it’s corny. But it’s so well executed. It’s told in a language that is so universal — which is hip-hop.” As much as the soundtrack focuses on nimble rhymes, several of its songs — “The Story of Tonight,” “Wait for It” and “It’s Quiet Uptown,” among them — are rooted in more traditional pop/Broadway structures, requiring tremendous vocal flexibility from the cast. Lee, also a burgeoning R&B singer (he’ll perform at Terminal West on June 11) with a musical crush on Stevie Wonder, is one of two cast members on the national tour with ties to Atlanta. He’s an Augusta native, but grew up in Austell and Kennesaw. [. . .] Indeed, the cast of more than 30 operates differently than most other mega-musicals; many scenes include the majority of the performers lurking in the background — and usually for a deeper purpose. Jennifer Geller, a graduate of Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts (CCCEPA), the magnet school at Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, is an ensemble player who also portrays “The Bullet,” a pivotal part in the show. “It holds a lot of weight,” she said of the role. “Throughout the show, I’m lurking. I’m next to (Hamilton) a lot, I’m behind him a lot. It is subtle in that way, but there is so much going on on that stage.” “This show is so crazy in that movement is so integrated into the story. (The scene/song) ‘The Room Where it Happens,’ where Aaron Burr is frustrated, our movement reflects that. Andy (Blankenbuehler), our choreographer, is so brilliant. He has a name for every movement. There’s a step called ‘crushing cans,’ and that’s Hamilton not being able to resist infidelity, and our bodies represent that.” Her sentiments are echoed by Hope Endrenyi, another CCCEPA alum who is a universal swing performer in the company, which means she can be called upon to jump into any “Hamilton” cast when needed to play any of the five female ensemble roles. “As a performer, you love that the ensemble is so much acting. We’re not just singing and dancing in the background. The creative team did a great job including us as storytellers. We move the plot forward. We set the energy and tension in each scene,” she said. Endrenyi had been part of the national tour for several months, but was recently summoned to return to Broadway, negating a hometown performance. [. . .]

Tuesday, 3/21/17, Curtain 7PM