‘Wait for It’ No More: Hamilton makes its triumphant return to Charlotte Jan. 7 – Feb. 2
Jan 2, 2025 / Blog
The Hamilton ensemble is one of the hardest working Shelby Acosta has ever been part of. “Most of them cover five to six other roles, and they have to know that many different movements and staging,” she said.
Acosta and her castmates will take over the Belk Theater when Hamilton returns Jan. 7 - Feb. 2. She plays Woman 5, who’s on stage from start to finish. But she’s also the understudy for all three Schuyler sisters - Angelica; Eliza, who marries Hamilton; and Peggy.
(Shelby Acosta backstage at Hamilton as Angelica Schuyler)
When Acosta is called upon to play a Schuyler sister, she doesn’t typically have much notice. “I recently found out at 11 a.m. that I was playing Eliza – at a 1 p.m. matinee!” She already knows, however, she’ll play Eliza at least twice in Charlotte – on Jan. 30 and 31.
She described Angelica, whom she’s played more than the other two, as “older and wiser than her sisters – and funny. I think there are times when she can show that humor, although most of the time – as the oldest – she has to take care of everyone. She understands her role in society, and she takes it seriously.”
Middle daughter Eliza is “filled with wonderment and curiosity,” Acosta said. “She takes everything in. She even sings, ‘Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.’”
And Peggy? “She’s the tagalong baby sister,” Acosta said. “She doesn’t want to stay home, but she doesn’t want to break the rules, either.”
‘The best piece of art’
Michelle Obama, who was First Lady when America caught Hamilton fever, called it "simply the best piece of art in any form that I've ever seen in my life."
The Obamas were early supporters of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote Hamilton’s music, lyrics and book – over seven years – after reading Ron Chernow’s biography of the “ten-dollar Founding Father without a father.” They hosted him at the White House in 2009 for the “White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word” – years before he’d play “A. Ham” on Broadway.
Hamilton broke lots of new ground. Who’d have thought the story of America’s Founding Fathers could be told through hip hop and rap?
And the show’s color-blind casting – so novel a decade ago – is now commonplace.
Miranda has described Hamilton as being about “America then, as told by America now.” The musical won eight Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, before transferring to Broadway, where it dazzled critics and fans. Hamilton was nominated for a record-breaking 16 Tony awards, and – to no one’s surprise – won 11, including Best Musical. It also won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Acosta knows she’s part of something special.
“This is my dream show,” she said. “I never forget that there are people in the audience seeing this show for the first time.”
(Shelby Acosta)
To those folks, she says the show “will absolutely change your life. And if you’re not a musical theater fan, I’m thinking of you when I’m performing. And I’m thinking: Well, you’re about to become one.”
Acosta first auditioned for Hamilton in 2016, and she’s auditioned every time since. “But I didn’t get a ‘yes’ until this past year,” she said. “So, I appreciate the show even more” … because she’s had to wait for it.
Incidentally, Wait For It is her favorite song in the musical. It’s Aaron Burr’s anthem – and his musical explanation for why he often lags behind his frenemy, Hamilton: “I’m not falling behind or running late/I’m not standing still. I am lying in wait.”
Catch her while you can
This won’t be Acosta’s first trip to Charlotte; she sang the national anthem at the Panthers’ home opener this season and said, “It’s harder than anything I sing in Hamilton.”
Charlotte will be one of Acosta’s last stops on the tour. She’s headed to Broadway to appear in the new musical, Real Women Have Curves. It’s based on the play by the same name, which was turned into a 2002 hit movie starring America Ferrara in her feature film debut.
Should you get weepy during Hamilton – and there are several points at which that’s possible – you won’t be alone. “One of my friends – a big, burly guy – told me he cried a couple of times,” Acosta said. “It does that to you. When we’re taking our bows, I can see people in the audience who’ve been crying. I always try and acknowledge them, because it’s such a powerful moment we’re sharing.”
