It has been a great time for Filipino theater fans as the highly anticipated Hamilton musical play marked its Asian premiere in the Philippines this week. 

On September 20, cast members Jason Arrow, Rachelle Ann Go, Deaundré Woods, Akina Edmonds and Darnell Abraham met with the press to share their insights and experiences as they bring Lin-Manuel Miranda’s global hit to the country. 

A musical play that features a mesh of hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton is based on the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. 

READ: First Asian-American lands lead role in the Broadway play ‘Hamilton’ 

During the Q&A portion, PUSH asked the cast: “In what ways can the story of Hamilton inspire Filipino viewers?” 

Deaundré first talked about how his character Aaron Burr values legacy. He said, “We look at legacy as ‘if we get it right, it’s a great thing,’ but what legacy can do to you is to keep you within these walls…” 

He then talked about “what it means to overcome this cage or this mentality that we cannot be greater than what we can see.”  

“I think it’s all about what is invisible, the imagination, where imagination leads [to] desire,” he added. 

Supporting what Deaundré established about overcoming walls, Darnell, who plays the role of George Washington, said, “I think we can reform foundation; I think you can tear down the walls. And so I hope and believe that maybe we will inspire our youth in particular to tear down the walls… That’s something I hope they can walk away from and say, ‘You know what, I’m not gonna wait ‘till I’m 25, 30, I’m gonna get active right now in the local government, in my student body [in] school.’” 

Darnell added that while “tearing down the walls” is a part of Hamilton’s DNA, it’s also important to have a firm foundation. 

As for Filipino pride Rachelle, who plays the role of Eliza Hamilton, she shared a message that she wants to send across. “We are like a speck of the dust in this crazy world, and why not make a mark? You know, leave something. Ask yourself what is your purpose in life. And that’s what we want to partake to a lot of people at the end of the show. We want people to come out of the theater and say, ‘What am I gonna do in this world? What is my purpose in life?’”

Portraying the character of Angelica Schuyler, Akina said, “The beauty of Hamilton is it’s so universal. It is about the human spirit. It is about the human flaws. It’s about coming from messy places… And being able to still do something with that.” 

Jason, who is playing the titular role of Hamilton, said that it’s about “understanding that no one is perfect.” 

Adding that we will see the best and the worst about his character in this show, Jason said, “I think that’s the beauty of it. Even people who have done great things have also done bad things, and people who have done bad things have done great things. And that is part of the human experience.”

Akina added, “It’s about seeing yourself up on the stage, right? Regardless of skin, regardless of external diversity, seeing yourself in a human existence because each human is more than 3D. You see aspects of yourself… Each and everyone of us could find an aspect of ourselves within each of these characters, which I think is superpower.”  

Meanwhile, Darnell praised the music culture in the Philippines, describing it as “extraordinary” and inspiring. Acknowledging the musical inclination of Filipinos, he said, “That’s also really exciting, I think, the fact that the show is very musical, and there’s such a rich musical history and heritage here that I think will certainly jive quite well with the show.” 

Hamilton will be playing from September 17 to the month of November at The Theater at Solaire.