'I asked Hamilton's new Eliza all the behind-the-scenes details. Here's what she told us.'

Musical theatre nerds, gather! The final tour of HAMILTON has just returned to Sydney.

Say it with me now: I'm not throwing away my shot! 

What shot? I've been a superfan of this musical for a decade but if you're relatively new to the rich world of HAMILTON, let's talk. 

In case you live under a rock, HAMILTON is a groundbreaking musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda that has just casually won 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy and the Pulitzer Prize. No biggie.

It's one of the biggest theatre productions in the world and has been seen by 22 million people worldwide. So yep, it's kind of a thing — and it's a musical on any true theatre savant's bucket list. 

The global phenomenon features a unique score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway and follows the rise of the United States Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, in a story driven by the universal theme of triumphing over adversity. 

After a successful first run in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand between 2021 and 2022, the final Australian season of HAMILTON is now at the Sydney Lyric Theatre, with tickets selling fast. Sydney is the only city that the musical will play so run, don't walk to see this. 

A few familiar faces from the original Australian cast will be back like Jason Arrow (Hamilton), Akina Edmonds (Angelica), Elandrah Eramiha (Peggy), Callan Purcell (Aaron Burr) and Brent Hill (King George), but a brand new Eliza will debut: introducing Vidya Makan.

"They are titans of this industry and I get to play alongside them," Makan beamed in an interview with Mamamia. Other new faces will include Gerard-Luke Malgas as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Etuate Lutui as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, and Googoorewon Knox as George Washington. 

A look inside the Room Where It Happens with Vidya Makan (centre) and new cast members. Image: Kate Williams.

Vidya is no stranger to musicals, having previously starred as Catherine in SIX the Musical, but she said her debut in HAMILTON feels extra special.

"I started listening to it when I was in uni. I graduated in 2015 and it was just kind of when it was starting to become a big thing. This is an absolute dream," she told Mamamia. 

Playing Hamilton's wife Eliza is the role of a lifetime for the young rising star. "I think that every woman in musical theatre, I mean, every human in musical theatre listens to this score and like not to be biased, but I think Eliza has the best songs. I remember I used to practice 'Burn' when I was in third year [at university] and think, 'oh my God, like one day, one day'," she reflected.

Vidya Makan in rehearsals as Eliza. Image: Kate Williams.

"Eliza's such an incredible character. She's full of heart. I actually find I'm learning a lot from getting to play her. I feel like she's making me a better person." 

HAMILTON is all about championing powerful female stories like Eliza's, with Vidya revealing to get into the mind of Hamilton's loyal wife she read the same book that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical, Ron Chernow's 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton. 

"I read a lot of their letters because I wanted to have a grasp on who my Eliza is and I wanted to really do that justice in my own way," she added. 

But the musical HAMILTON isn't just a show about America's history told through incredible music and lyrics, it's a production that was groundbreaking in the way Miranda set out to tell America's history with a diverse cast to reflect the country's scope of people. 

The musical's history of casting people of colour as the ones determining America's history is something that Vidya is proud to be a part of. "HAMILTON is kind of a revolution within itself and it's a show about a revolution," she said.

Vidya Makan and cast. Image: Kate Williams.

To be able to play a lead in a musical as big as HAMILTON is something the young performer didn't imagine a decade ago. "I graduated almost 10 years ago and I wasn't getting seen for a lot of things. I was a strong singer and a strong actor, but I'd often be made to play racial stereotypes which I just didn't fit in," she said.

"There aren’t many roles written for Indian women on stage who aren't particularly Bollywood. I found it hard to fit in and HAMILTON was a real example of something where you saw a heap of people of colour on stage who get to inhabit characters that are flawed and very, very human — they get to be heroes themselves."

Vidya's parents immigrated from South Africa to Australia after surviving the apartheid era. "I think so much of what I do is connected to them and what they've been through. That's true for a lot of immigrant kids. It's true for a lot of the cast of HAMILTON and what HAMILTON is about as well," she said. 

"I feel very proud to get to be up on that stage. My parents are coming to opening night and I'm so excited for them to get to see their daughter up on the stage. They’ve seen me many times in different shows but now I play a leading lady." 

For people who aren't super across the long history of HAMILTON, Vidya assures me that this musical has something for everyone. 

"HAMILTON has an appeal for everyone. At its heart, it's a story about a man who goes from rags to riches — it’s about the absolute underdog," she said.

“If you're someone who just loves music, this is the show for you. If you're someone who loves theatre, this is the show for you. I think it is the best show that has ever existed. It's got the best score, every single part of it is geniously done and this is the last time that we're going be in Sydney. 

"If you miss out, you will miss out." 

HAMILTON returns exclusively to Sydney Lyric Theatre one last time. Get your tickets now.

Feature Image: Supplied/Instagram/@hamiltonaustralia.