The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast

Gillian Pensavalle

In this podcast about all things Hamilton, host Gillian Pensavalle speaks with guests, and sometimes co-host/all time husband Michael Paul Smith, about the innerworkings of the show, how it came together, what it takes to put on all around the world, finding Hamilton references in everyday life, and much more. The Hamilcast has played host to every member of the original creative team, aka "The Cabinet", including repeat visits from Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Hamilcast features interviews with cast members from every Hamilton tour, Broadway, and UK company--crew members, musicians, creatives, and the hard working people behind-the-scenes that keep the production alive. Plus: historians, super fans, celebrity Hamilton enthusiasts, and group cast recordings! When I started this podcast in January of 2016, I could not have imagined the incredible community that has grown around the show and the amazing experiences that have come my way. Thank you to everyone who has listened, appeared on the show, contributed, or reached out in any way. This podcast is for you and I absolutely love making it. If you have any great Ham stories or funny references that you've come across, let me know! Email TheHamilcast [at] gmail [dot] com, or contact me on social media @TheHamilcast. I also have a Patreon that has given rise to the loveliest corner of the internet, ever. You can learn more about how to be a part of that lovely corner, and how to submit questions to guests, and to be part of my monthly AMA's at https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast read less

Our Editor's Take

The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcasts is a great series for fans of the award-winning musical. Host Gillian Pensavalle started the podcast in 2016 before watching the show. A reunion with a passionate friend encouraged her to create a series all about it.

Hamilton is a biographical musical featuring entertaining rap and iconic show tunes. Its creator is Lin-Manuel Miranda, an actor, songwriter, and playwright. The story is about the life of Alexander Hamilton, an American Founding Father. In this podcast, fans hear from cast members of the musical, from Broadway stars to the creatives behind it. There are one-on-one interviews as well as group cast recordings.

The podcast includes an interview with Brandee Danielle Huston across three parts. She is an international hair and makeup artist who works on Broadway shows. Gillian asks her about her impressive career and how she ended up working on the musical. Brandee says she learned every area of stagecraft, from electrical to lighting. She soon discovered her passion was in making the actors look their best.

Over three episodes, Jason Arrow joins the podcast. He played the lead role in Australia, New Zealand, and Manila. Gillian starts by asking him about his life story, revealing how it connects to Hamilton. Jason shares the experience of having Lin-Manuel watch his performance in Australia. He refers to it as a thank-you gift to Lin for creating such a fantastic musical.

Aside from the podcast, Gillian is the creator of a comedy series with her husband, Michael. They based the show on their experiences in New York City. They collaborate on his podcast Ted and Michael Read Sketches into Microphones. Michael also cohosts some of the episodes of The Hamilcast. The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcasts chats about everything Hamilton with those involved worldwide. From stars to costume designers, listeners hear from all sides of the production. It's insightful and entertaining and brings the show to life. New episodes premiere every Monday.

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#419: Zach Bravo // Swing on the Philip Tour // Part Two

#419: Zach Bravo // Swing on the Philip Tour // Part Two

Zach Bravo (Swing on Hamilton’s Philip Tour) is back and this week we’re talking about Zach’s amazing family, his experience at Pace University, and why he’ll always defend Spiderman: Turn off the Dark. Zach started off not wanting to listen to Hamilton before seeing it but like so many of us… he lost that battle. His first time listening to the album was euphoric and finally seeing the show was fantastic but he was intimidated by the choreography. Fun fact: as that was happening, his mother leaned over in the middle of the performance and said, “I can totally see you in this show.” This week, Zach walks us through his Hamilton audition process and talks about how booking the show felt like psychosis: after five years of work and stress and auditions they suddenly need him in Detroit… TOMORROW. Zach Bravo on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

Episodes

#419: Zach Bravo // Swing on the Philip Tour // Part Two

#419: Zach Bravo // Swing on the Philip Tour // Part Two

Zach Bravo (Swing on Hamilton’s Philip Tour) is back and this week we’re talking about Zach’s amazing family, his experience at Pace University, and why he’ll always defend Spiderman: Turn off the Dark. Zach started off not wanting to listen to Hamilton before seeing it but like so many of us… he lost that battle. His first time listening to the album was euphoric and finally seeing the show was fantastic but he was intimidated by the choreography. Fun fact: as that was happening, his mother leaned over in the middle of the performance and said, “I can totally see you in this show.” This week, Zach walks us through his Hamilton audition process and talks about how booking the show felt like psychosis: after five years of work and stress and auditions they suddenly need him in Detroit… TOMORROW. Zach Bravo on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#418: Zach Bravo // Swing on the Philip Tour // Part One

#418: Zach Bravo // Swing on the Philip Tour // Part One

Zach Bravo (Swing on Hamilton’s Philip Tour) is here! This week, Zach talks about growing up as a Puerto Rican only child in Queens whose whole life changed when he tagged along to his cousin’s dance class. Thanks to his incredibly supportive family Zach grew up training to do what he loves, from performing Aladdin Jr. to thriving at the famous LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in New York City. Zach Bravo on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#417: Billy Nevers // Hamilton UK/Ireland: Lafayette/Jefferson // Part Three

#417: Billy Nevers // Hamilton UK/Ireland: Lafayette/Jefferson // Part Three

As I wrap up with Billy Nevers (Lafayette/Jefferson on the Hamilton UK/Ireland tour), we kick off with questions from the Patreon Peeps. Billy talks about coming to terms with and taking the power back from problematic founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson, describing the terrifying and exhilarating first moments of starting the show as Aaron Burr, the beautiful madness of being in a cast with so many of his dearest friends, and why we should all be watching every iteration of The Traitors. Billy Nevers on TikTok Billy Nevers on Instagram Legally Blonde | West End LIVE 2022 /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#416: Billy Nevers // Hamilton UK/Ireland: Lafayette/Jefferson // Part Two

#416: Billy Nevers // Hamilton UK/Ireland: Lafayette/Jefferson // Part Two

In his second episode, Billy Nevers (Lafayette/Jefferson on the UK/Ireland tour) talks about his extensive history with & Juliet, including working with the fantastic Bill Sherman and the prolific Max Martin. Billy also talks about how Legally Blonde was one of the best experiences of his life, how he booked Lafayette/Jefferson for the Hamilton tour, and tells me about the fateful phone call where he was asked a very loaded question: How do you feel about Aaron Burr? Billy Nevers on TikTok Billy Nevers on Instagram & Juliet (Original London Cast Recording) /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#415: Billy Nevers // Hamilton UK/Ireland: Lafayette/Jefferson // Part One

#415: Billy Nevers // Hamilton UK/Ireland: Lafayette/Jefferson // Part One

Billy Nevers is currently in the UK/Ireland tour of Hamilton playing Lafayette/Jefferson. He’s also in the very rare position of being a principal who covers another principal - he’s the second standby for Aaron Burr, which is pretty unprecedented! Billy grew up in London in a very theatrical family, so he was surrounded by it from a super young age: music was always on, he was always going to see shows, his mom was a drama teacher. His talent and passion were undeniably there from the start but Billy learned early on about the gatekeeping people of color have to deal with when trying to break into this industry. In this episode Billy talks about the BIPOC experience in the arts and education world, how doing what you love is really hard work (and that's a good thing!), and doing Jesus Christ Superstar at an outdoor theater in the summer of 2020. Billy Nevers on TikTok Billy Nevers on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#414: Rubén J. Carbajal // Laurens/Philip on Broadway // Part Three

#414: Rubén J. Carbajal // Laurens/Philip on Broadway // Part Three

Rubén J. Carbajal (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton on Broadway) is wrapping up his three episode series and we are kicking it off with his punk rock version of The Story of Tonight! Plus, he’s taking questions from the Patreon Peeps which includes (but is not limited to!) his favorite LA food spots, adjusting to the East Coast, living life “heart-forward”, his love of Spanish music, and punking Pitbull on MTV. Rubén recently made his Broadway debut as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, but not before over 1,000 performances on the road including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Puerto Rico with Lin-Manuel Miranda. Rubén has always been so present in his journey to this point and one of the greatest parts about his journey is that he always let his personality come through no matter what. Rubén J. Carbajal on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#413: Rubén J. Carbajal // Laurens/Philip on Broadway // Part Two

#413: Rubén J. Carbajal // Laurens/Philip on Broadway // Part Two

Rubén J. Carbajal (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton on Broadway) is back for another round! This week, he talks about his multiple Hamilton auditions and explains his process: the flights, the preparation, the importance of always showing his personality, and the beauty of staying curious. Rubén talks about his experience on tour, the full circle moment of bringing Hamilton home to Los Angeles, and what it was like performing with Lin-Manuel Miranda in Puerto Rico. And then… Rubén thought he was done with Hamilton in 2022 but some time away, a writers’ strike, and a very supportive partner led him to Broadway. Rubén J. Carbajal on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#412: Rubén J. Carbajal // Laurens/Philip on Broadway // Part One

#412: Rubén J. Carbajal // Laurens/Philip on Broadway // Part One

Rubén J. Carbajal is finally on the podcast after all this time, but honestly, the timing could not have been better. Rubén recently made his Broadway debut as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, but not before doing over one thousand performances across the country including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and performing alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda in Puerto Rico. Rubén has been performing since he was five years old, but it wasn’t until he did In the Heights for the first time that he felt truly connected to a role. He wants to do that show forever (that’s a quote) and so far he’s done it three times: once as Sonny and twice as Usnavi. When Hamilton came along Rubén was a superfan just like the rest of us, and we have a lot of fun revisiting those early days of the Hamilton fervor. What’s more exciting than being a fan of something and then actually being a part of it?! And for years, at that! It wasn’t an easy process and this episode ends with one of the busiest and most important days of Rubén’s life: an audition, the news about a call back, a Mets game, and standing on the turntable at the Richard Rodgers Theatre for the very first time. Rubén J. Carbajal on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#411: Vincent Jamal Hooper // Part Two

#411: Vincent Jamal Hooper // Part Two

Vincent Jamal Hooper is back for round two! Vinny’s Hamilton experience took him to Puerto Rico, California, Texas, and Australia playing the roles of Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Lafayette/Jefferson, George Washington, and KGIII. This week, Vinny talks about going from Hamilton to White Girl in Danger to making his Broadway debut as Simba in The Lion King. Plus, Vinny explains the responsibility of tone setting in a production, tells us about all the playlists he made to get in character for his multiple Hamilton roles, all the "animal work" he did to prepare for Hamilton and Burr, and why video games are a parable life. Vincent Jamal Hooper on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#410: Vincent Jamal Hooper // Part One

#410: Vincent Jamal Hooper // Part One

Vincent Jamal Hooper is here! Vinny recently made his Broadway debut as Simba in the Lion King and before that, his Hamilton experience took him all over the place: Puerto Rico, California, Texas, and Australia. Vinny played Hamilton, Burr, Lafayette/Jefferson, George Washington, and King George III. This week, Vinny talks about growing up in Texas and knowing pretty early on that he wanted to be a performer. He landed the role of Benny in a local production of In The Heights which led him to Hamilton, a show that he and his friends (J. Quinton Johnson and Trey Curtis) used to act out in parking lots. After Hamilton Vinny shifts gears completely to do White Girl in Danger, and while it was total whiplash the experience made him a better artist all around and taught him the importance of not being afraid to be seen trying. Vincent Jamal Hooper on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#409: Jarrod Spector // King George III in Hamilton Broadway // Part Two

#409: Jarrod Spector // King George III in Hamilton Broadway // Part Two

Jarrod Spector (King George III in Hamilton Broadway) is back for round two. In this episode, Jarrod talks about heading to New York City to study at the Atlantic Theater Company and starting his Broadway career. After being fired from Jersey Boys before he even started, Jarrod went on to play a record-breaking 1500 performances at Frankie Valli. We also talk Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Cher Show, and collaborating with his fantastic wife Kelli Barrett. Jarrod also discusses landing KGIII in Hamilton, explains why the role is like "starting on third base", and reflects on his long history of playing real people. Plus, he takes questions from the Patreon Peeps and talks about what's inspiring him. Fosse/Verdon A Killer Party Jarrod on Instagram Full Circle Artists /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#408: Jarrod Spector // King George III in Hamilton Broadway // Part One

#408: Jarrod Spector // King George III in Hamilton Broadway // Part One

Jarrod Spector, Hamilton Broadway’s current King George III, is on the podcast! This week, Jarrod talks about growing up in Philadelphia where he started performing on the Al Alberts Showcase at barely three years old. From there, he did his Bobby Darin act on Star Search for a while, humbly passed on The Mickey Mouse Club, and at nine years old he landed the role of Gavroche in Les Miserables where he performed in Philly, Chicago, and eventually on Broadway. Jarrod also opens up about his somewhat tumultuous early college experience, (girl, same) and we have a very honest conversation about some tricky life lessons we both learned around the same time. Al Alberts Showcase featuring Al and Jarrod singing "That's Life" (1986) Jarrod Spector singing Mack the Knife on Star Search (1988) Star Search - Jarrod Spector vs. Countess Vaughn (1988) Jarrod on Instagram Full Circle Artists /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#407: Jonathan Butler-Duplessis // Hamilton Broadway // Part Three

#407: Jonathan Butler-Duplessis // Hamilton Broadway // Part Three

This week wraps up my chat with Jonathan Butler-Duplessis (Hamilton Broadway: Aaron Burr, George Washington, and Mulligan/Madison) and he’s taking questions from The Patreon Peeps so we’re all over the map. There’s lots of pizza talk (obviously), Jonathan gives advice about being weird and authentic and finding your people, he talks about his fascination with the 2019 Cats movie, manifests his dream of playing Elphaba, and confesses how many times he’s read that erotica book that's onstage at Hamilton. Plus! Jonathan explains why he sees his Broadway debut as Burr as a return on a lot of people's investments, and he does some deep introspection about relating to the frustration and ambition of Aaron Burr, a role Jonathan never thought he'd play because according to him, "no one is ever gonna let him LEAD a show." Counting Stars by Nujabes A tribute to J-Dilla and Nujabes Patzeria Perfect Pizza aka Scientology Pizza No Good Deed from the Original Cast Recording of Wicked What The Internet Did To Garfield A Beginner's Guide to the Monogatari Series /// Jonathan on Instagram Jade Armor The Plate Show Podcast /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#406: Jonathan Butler-Duplessis // Hamilton Broadway // Part Two

#406: Jonathan Butler-Duplessis // Hamilton Broadway // Part Two

Jonathan Butler-Duplessis (Hamilton Broadway: Aaron Burr, George Washington, and Mulligan/Madison) is back for round two! In this episode, we kick off talking about his experience playing Jim Conley in Parade. It was a really intense audition process, Jonathan couldn't afford contacts for the first half of the run so could barely see and the audience looked like blobs, and he had to deal with several instances of the cops being called on him for existing while Black. But according to Jonathan, all of this craziness actually *helped* his performance. We also dive into his Hamilton story, which starts with the belief that he was wrong for absolutely every part in the show. Of course that wasn’t the case because we eventually hear the story about how Jonathan was giving Lin-Manuel Miranda shit for eating Sicilian style pizza at the Richard Rodgers so things worked out pretty well! Side note: Jonathan takes his Chicago pizza very, very seriously. Jonathan also has an incredibly moving debut experience, and talks about what it was like to play Aaron Burr for the first time. He explains his connection to Wait For It and how he carries his past with him as he moves forward. /// Jonathan on Instagram Jade Armor The Plate Show Podcast /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#405: Jonathan Butler-Duplessis // Hamilton Broadway // Part One

#405: Jonathan Butler-Duplessis // Hamilton Broadway // Part One

Jonathan Butler-Duplessis is currently in the Broadway company of Hamilton covering Aaron Burr, George Washington, and Mulligan/Madison. Jonathan grew up in Chicago singing in church and got his first break thanks (in part) to his grandmother's babysitting gig. He did a lot of community theatre but by the time he graduated from high school, he stopped performing. After a quick (not great!) experience at a Christian bible college, Jonathan had the opportunity to audition for the University of Illinois and he took it. He worked hard, he wanted to learn, he used the tools they gave him, and he kicked off his prolific career. Jonathan has this No Shortcuts mantra and it's definitely the vibe of his three episodes. From professional wrestling, to a metaphysical discussion of Beyonce's Renaissance, to his love of small details, it all seems to come back to how all of these things effect his performance in Hamilton and everything else he does. /// Jonathan on Instagram Jade Armor The Plate Show Podcast /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#404: Charles Simmons 2.0 // George Washington: Germany and UK/Ireland // Part Two

#404: Charles Simmons 2.0 // George Washington: Germany and UK/Ireland // Part Two

Welcome back to Charles Simmons 2.0! Charles is currently George Washington on the UK/Ireland tour and previously originated the role in Hamburg, Germany. This week, Charles talks more about joining his new company including how the amazing cast and crew helped make his transition super easy, all the craziness leading up to opening night, and adjusting to life in the UK. Plus, he talks about his all time favorite Hamilton moment, and Charles does a deep dive on some of the lyrics he thinks might actually hit harder in German than they do in English. Remember: Charles is a self-proclaimed Hamilton superfan, so he spares no detail. #339: Charles Simmons // G.Wash in Hamilton Germany // Part One #340: Charles Simmons // G.Wash in Hamilton Germany // Part Two /// Charles Simmons Charles on Instagram Charles on Facebook Charles on Youtube /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#403: Charles Simmons 2.0 // George Washington: Germany and UK/Ireland // Part One

#403: Charles Simmons 2.0 // George Washington: Germany and UK/Ireland // Part One

Charles Simmons is back on the podcast for the first time since October 2022, when he was in rehearsals as the original George Washington in the German production of Hamilton. Go listen to those episodes to learn about how a guy originally from Kansas City ended up in Germany for most of his life and then booked Hamilton with no formal training. It’s truly, truly fascinating. After a successful run in Hamburg, Charles is currently reprising the role of George Washington in the new UK and Ireland tour. Charles was in rehearsals when he first came on the podcast so there was a lot about the German production that we didn’t get to discuss but now we can! From the translation and lyric changes, to the incredibly enthusiastic fans, to a very rare concert version of Hamilton, to learning the show in two languages, we talk about it all. #339: Charles Simmons // G.Wash in Hamilton Germany // Part One #340: Charles Simmons // G.Wash in Hamilton Germany // Part Two Complete Ham4Ham Hamburg and the last applause of final show Hamilton das Musical Germany /// Charles Simmons Charles on Instagram Charles on Facebook Charles on Youtube /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#402: Amanda Braun // Swing & Universal Swing // Part Two

#402: Amanda Braun // Swing & Universal Swing // Part Two

Amanda Braun is back for round two! After almost two years as a swing on tour with Hamilton, Amanda needed a break from the road. Six months later was offered the role of Universal Swing. This week Amanda discusses diving into arguably the most demanding role in theatre, which ended up being perfect for her! She embraced the chaos, she loved learning and perfecting every track, and the experience now permeates the way she learns and performs in general. Plus a deep dive on personalized corset designs, a shared affection for the Yorktown dance break, major love for the legendary Antuan Magic Raimone, and some words of wisdom from Amanda about inspiration and being kind to yourself. Center Stage Dance and Theatre School Amanda on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#401: Amanda Braun // Swing & Universal Swing // Part One

#401: Amanda Braun // Swing & Universal Swing // Part One

Amanda Braun is on the podcast this and next week! Amanda first joined Hamilton as a swing in the original cast of the first national tour. After a short break from the Angelica Tour, she returned to Hamilton as a universal swing for two years (a VERY long time to do what is possibly the hardest gig in theatre), and is currently a swing on Broadway. Pretty impressive for someone who saw Hamilton at The Public and convinced herself the choreography was too hard for her to ever be cast in the show! Amanda started dancing at three years old and thrives on expertly navigating any challenge that is thrown her way. From taking childhood dance lessons from Stephanie Klemons, to doing her sophomore year of college online because she was on tour with Catch Me If You Can, to working with Andy Blankenbuehler on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Amanda has an arsenal of knowledge and experience. Center Stage Dance and Theatre School Amanda on Instagram /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

#400: Shan Ako // Hamilton West End // Part Two

#400: Shan Ako // Hamilton West End // Part Two

Welcome back to another episode of The Shan Show™ with Shan Ako, who is currently playing Eliza Schuyler in Hamilton West End. This week, Shan discusses her beautiful relationship to Eponine in Les Miserables and how that role was right on time, helping prep her to finally land the role of Eliza. Shan discusses her strong connection to Eliza including what she brings to the role and what the role has done for her personally. Plus, Shan talks about her blog (and upcoming book!) The Shan Vibe, discussing her passion for mental health and positive well-being. Shan's Linktree The Shan Vibe Book! On My Own (Shan Ako) | Les Miserables: The Staged Concert (2019) | TUNE /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps