In a recent interview, Thayne Jasperson, a long-standing member of the original cast of Hamilton, shares his journey and experiences in the iconic musical.
Original ‘Hamilton’ Star Reveals Why He Still Hasn’t Left the Show
Ten years ago, a brand-new musical hit New York City when Hamilton celebrated its off-Broadway debut on February 17, 2015. Tracing the tale of Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, the production was the latest to come from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who previously swept critics off their feet with his ode to the city and its multitude of cultures with In the Heights. Now, a full decade, a record-breaking run at the Tony Awards, and a multitude of traveling productions as well as an on-screen taping later, Hamilton is still going strong. Although most of its original cast — which included Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and Anthony Ramos — have moved on to other things, there’s one member of the original lineup who has continued to haunt the corridors and dressing rooms of the Richard Rodgers theater — Thayne Jasperson. During a brand-new interview, the actor opened up about what has kept him hanging on to Hamilton and what lies ahead for his future (spoiler alert: it’s more Hamilton).
A self-described “year guy,” the multi-talented performer appeared in numerous productions prior to his tenure in the hip-hop historical musical, but even Newsies and Matilda couldn’t hold his attention quite like Hamilton. As a member of the ensemble, Jasperson appears as Bishop Samuel Seabury and admits that from the very beginning of the workshops, he “knew Hamilton was going to be epic, so I knew I had to be part of it.” As time rolled on, he continued to light up the stage with his million dollar smile and incredible stage presence. Before he knew it, exciting things were happening, and he was locked in. “I couldn’t leave before the Tonys,” Jasperson explains.
“Then it was the Grammys, then we were filming it [for Disney+], now we have all of these people coming… I just couldn’t leave. Did I know [Barack] Obama or Beyoncé would show up to the show? No. But it’s become this huge, epic thing that’s kept me tied in. I always tell Lin, ‘You wrote too good of a show… I can’t leave.”
Memories Upon Memories
Not only does Jasperson connect with Hamilton’s subject matter, themes, and — of course — music, but he has also collected a treasure trove of memories during his time in the cast.
“I remember our Eliza [Soo] and I used to run up and down the stairs singing, ‘I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love with a wonderful guy,’ just because. There was a group of us — me, [James] Madison [Okieriete Onaodowan] and two of the other ensemble boys — who all had longboards and would just skateboard through the streets downtown. I mean, there were a million amazing memories.”
As the musical picked up speed and Hamilton fever took over, Jasperson says it was “hard” for him to come to terms with its global success. Despite the awards buzz and the celebrity sightings, he had been with it since the beginning and saw it as his child to protect.
“At first, we were this singular story; nobody else knew the words, no information, no video and I loved it when it was like that. Then it became this huge thing with casts around the country, and I had a hard time with that. But what’s beautiful is that the story is so relatable.”
These days, he fully understands why the show has resonated with audiences so much, explaining,
See More ...
“I think it’s just the relatability mixed with truth. It makes people proud of the country that was formed. They still have pride in what we’ve been able to do with the separation from the UK… That relatability keeps people coming back.”
Thayne Jasperson’s Next Steps
Having struck gold with Hamilton, appearing in countless shows over the last 10 years, Jasperson has a word of advice for other up-and-coming actors: “Hope in yourself is important.” Reminiscing on his beginning days in The Big Apple, Jasperson added,
“When I moved here with a one-way ticket, I stood in Times Square, set my suitcase down and my spirit was like, ‘This is where you’re meant to be. This is it.’ I had started my destination on Broadway, and I was gonna do it.”
With no plans to leave Hamilton in the foreseeable future, the actor joked, “You’re gonna be wheeling me out in a wheelchair.” Seeing no reason to look beyond his dreamy life filled with cheering crowds, standing ovations, and his second (or maybe first) home at the Richard Rodgers Theater, he said,
“So what’s next is more of this. I don’t have a plan. I’m trying to be spontaneous and live in the moment. When something feels right, I move with it. This is where I’m meant to be. And I want to always be ready to move to my life’s mission, whatever it may be.”
In celebration of the monumental occasion, the movie version of Hamilton will come to the big-screen in theaters nationwide and in Puerto Rico.
