TA’REA CAMPBELL, center, plays Angelica Schuyler in the award-winning musical “Hamilton,” which plays at the Benedum Center through March 13. (Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Cultural Trust)
Heralded musical with diverse cast in Pittsburgh through March 13
by Genea L. Webb
For New Pittsburgh Courier
Actress Ta’Rea Campbell loves a challenge. Her role as the sassy and opinionated Angelica Schuyler in “Hamilton” serves as one of her greatest.
“I treat the role of Angelica as a blank canvas,” Campbell, the Philadelphia native, told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “I’m not trying to be like anyone else that came before me, although I am friends with (Renee Elise Goldsberry), the woman who originated the role. I was so blessed to be able to partake in this show and put my own spin on it. When you do a role that is not an original role, it’s always wonderful to provide your own spices to the dish.”
In the heralded “Hamilton,” now playing at the Benedum Center, Downtown, Angelica Schuyler is the oldest of the wealthy Schuyler sisters. She is the sister-in-law to Alexander Hamilton. In the musical, she and her sisters are introduced to Hamilton during a winter ball and Angelica and Hamilton have an instant connection. However, when Angelica realizes her sister, Eliza, is hopelessly smitten with the charismatic young man, she recuses herself of a life with him and gives him to her sister to marry. But both Angelica and Hamilton yearn for one another throughout the show and write heartfelt letters to one another.
“Angelica and Hamilton had a different kind of love. I call it an intellectual affair because they didn’t have a physical relationship, but they had an intellectual relationship that probably crossed some boundaries,” Campbell expressed to the Courier. “They were probably on the same plane intellectually. I think that he really loved Eliza, she was the mother of his many children, but I think that Angelica was different than Eliza—she fed a different side of Hamilton’s brain that he probably needed that he wasn’t getting from Eliza. Lin Manuel-Miranda took a lot of creative license when he wrote the story. When we see the meeting between Eliza, Hamilton, and Angelica during (the) winter ball, historically, Angelica was already married when she introduced them, but the way that we tell the story, we tell it as if she wasn’t married yet, but she was. That’s the beauty of creative license.”
“HAMILTON” plays at Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center through March 13. (Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Cultural Trust)
For the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, “Hamilton” has been a hit. Almost 100 percent of the tickets for the shows have been sold. “Hamilton” plays at the Benedum through March 13.
“People really do want to come back and experience the joy of live performance, theater and music, and they know they have to be careful, and we want people to feel safe,” said J. Kevin McMahon, the Trust’s president and CEO.
In the last month, in an effort to ease fears and streamline the entrance to theaters, the Trust implemented the Pre-Check Program. Attendees can check in and show their vaccination cards or negative COVID tests along with identification at the theater square box office up to two hours prior to curtain time. They will receive a wristband, which will allow them to go through the express lane when they enter the theater.
Like the rest of the world, Campbell had to pivot when the pandemic hit in 2020. She was in Canada for a 14-week run of “Hamilton” when the world went into lockdown. She was unable to get a refund on her living accommodations and was essentially stuck. She began cooking her own versions of her favorite take-out foods and posted the videos on her Instagram page.
“That was fun because there wasn’t much else to do,” she recalled.
Afterwards, she stayed in Philadelphia and reconnected with her family before returning to the “Hamilton” tour. She’s been playing the role of Angelica Schuyler since 2018.
“This pandemic taught me that life is short. Lots of people lost their lives during this pandemic.” Campbell said. “I’m grateful that I was able to spend time with my family because being a touring actress for over 20 years, you don’t have much time to spend with your family, so I’m grateful to COVID-19 for that. I was nervous to return to the stage because we are in shows in different states and the rules are different in each state. I’m hoping that everyone is staying safe. The cast of ‘Hamilton’ is getting tested often and if someone tests positive, they are out of the show for 10 days, no exceptions.”
WARREN EGYPT FRANKLIN, DESMOND SEAN ELLINGTON, ELIJAM MALCOMB, PIERRE JEAN GONZALEZ IN “HAMILTON” (Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Cultural Trust)
Campbell is excited to return to the Pittsburgh theater stage. The last time Steel City audiences experienced her voice and acting acumen was “Sister Act” between 2012 and 2014. She also performed in the touring companies of “Aida” and “The Lion King” when those shows came to town.
Campbell believes that the multi-cultural cast and style of music are some of the factors that draw sellout crowds to “Hamilton” night after night.
“Hamilton is like nothing anyone’s ever seen before and humans crave something different,” Campbell told the Courier. “People enjoy hearing the rap music in musical theater. We are using the music of today, telling the story of American history back then through the people who look like us now.”
JARED DIXON in “Hamilton.” (Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Cultural Trust)
To say that “Hamilton” is heralded would be an understatement. The musical has won Tony, Grammy and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and was given a special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. For Campbell, she welcomes the challenge of being a touring actress.
“It keeps your skills sharp,” she said. “I find something new everyday with the same material.”
To separate her life from the life of her character, Campbell drives to each city on the tour, surrounded by her favorite things in her car: her spices, journal, favorite books and blanket.
“If you are going to get into acting, do it because you love the craft first,” Campbell, who loves cooking Asian cuisine and watching “The Golden Girls,” told the Courier. “More than 90 percent of actors are unemployed. The success comes after. Know that rejection is a part of life—in any profession—and don’t take it personally.”
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