The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast

Jennifer Geller has been in the ensemble of Hamilton since 2017 on the first national tour and she is currently on Broadway. In her first episode Jennifer talks about her fantastic experience with Bring It On and how amazing it was to tour North America and Japan doing a show she loves so much. Bring It On would eventually lead to an invitation to audition for Hamilton, but we have a lot of ground to cover before we get there including rescue dogs, deviated septums, physical therapists, and why you just gotta be nice! Jennifer on Instagram J.E.T Fitness Training Ollie's Angels Animal Rescue /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

Shonica Gooden (Hamilton Broadway's Woman 4) first joined Hamilton in December of 2015, just in time for the full on Hamilton madness with the original cast, including that legendary trip to the White House. Shonica reflects on over ten years of Hamilton, explaining how her life experiences (being a mother, experiencing a pandemic, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement) have changed her approach to the show. But guess what? She still looooooves it. She loves and respects all the time it took to really get it right and as Shonica says, "they didn't microwave it." Shonica also talks about being a founding member and the Executive Artistic Director of the Black Artists Dance Collective, an alliance of Black dance professionals who vow to uplift, support, inspire, and empower Atlanta’s Black dance community.  Shonica on Instagram The Black Artists Dance Collective Mutha Podcast /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

Shonica Gooden (Hamilton Broadway's Woman 4) was born and raised in Atlanta, where she focused on what was supposed to be a thriving modern dance career. She had zero interest in musical theatre and didn't see herself as a triple threat. Luckily, her teachers at DanceMakers of Atlanta did see her as a triple threat and strongly encouraged Shonica to audition for Bring It On. This led to callbacks and work sessions with Alex Lacamoire and Andy Blankenbuehler, and it would prove to be the start of a beautiful friendship with The Cabinet.  Shonica had the incredibly unique experience working with Andy Blankenbuehler in the pre-production phase of Hamilton, and she was one of the dancers Andy called to help him visualize what would end up being the choreography in the show. It was a shock to everyone (especially Andy) when Shonica turned down the opportunity to be a swing when Hamilton was transferring to Broadway. As Shonica explains, it was a terrifying decision that ended up being the right move. Plus, Shonica

This week wraps up my series with John Devereaux, a standby on Hamilton's Philip Tour covering George Washington, King George III, Mulligan/Madison, and Lafayette/Jefferson. Remember when John told the story about booking Hamilton and almost passing on it? Yeah well that almost didn't even happen because this week you'll hear about how John actually did pass on the first audition! Yep, he just wasn't that into Hamilton. But then he heard Wait For It and couldn't stop crying and decided he absolutely had to be in the show. John walks us through his Hamilton process while also giving excellent advice (spoiler: whatever it is, take the note). He's also taking questions from the Patreon Peeps where you'll learn about "the multiverse of KGIIIs" and why he wants to sit down for a hard hitting interview with the real Aaron Burr. John on Instagram John on Tiktok Of Yours Products /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

John Devereaux (standby on Hamilton's Philip Tour) is back for round two and this episode is all about authenticity and being as present as possible. For John, he never wants to "lose his elasticity", so a lot of his work as an actor has to do with constantly learning and being curious about himself and the world around him. This week, John shares stories about what he describes as "being tested" in auditions (...or was it just racism? You be the judge) and discusses his fantastic experience on the Rent 20th Anniversary Tour. From the importance of integrity to the true meaning of legacy to the "do no harm, take no shit" way of life, John is laying it all on the table. John on Instagram John on Tiktok Of Yours Products /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

John Devereaux is currently on Hamilton's Philip Tour covering George Washington, King George III, Mulligan/Madison, and Lafayette/Jefferson. He grew up in Houston, Texas, loving sports and wanting to eventually practice medicine. In high school, he did some friends a favor by stepping in as a last minute replacement but this does NOT mean he was a theatre kid, okay?! In fact, he went out of his way to make sure his bio in the program said that acting was just a hobby and he was *really* an athlete who was going to be a doctor. But we know how this story goes, right? He stepped on that stage and everything changed. Not overnight, of course. This week John talks about realizing he was too squeamish to be a doctor while in the middle of rotations, why a Monopoly reference made him ditch his business major, the beauty of being present on stage, and auditioning for Friday Night Lights. John on Instagram John on Tiktok Of Yours Products /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join

In her third and final episode, Sabrina Imamura ties up how she landed on the Hamilton's Philip Tour after starting with the original Angelica Tour in 2017 and making stops on Broadway (twice), the Eliza Tour (the Los Angeles sit down), and the And Peggy Tour (which kicked off in Puerto Rico). Sabrina explains the importance of gigs that feed you creatively and why doing a show for the sake of it isn't really what she's about. You know what she *is* about, though? More stories about Asian people that don't revolve around war or politics or the fetishization of Asian women and people. Plus, Sabrina goes in on her favorite books with the strongest female leads, why animals are the greatest, vintage project runaway talk, and our plea for JUSTICE FOR NATALIE FROM LOVE, ACTUALLY!! It'll make sense when you get there, I promise. Sabrina on Instagram Sabrina's Fashion Account Sabrina on TikTok /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

Sabrina Imamura is back for round two and she's very candidly talking about her experience with anxiety, including having daily panic attacks on stage while performing in Hamilton on Broadway. Sabrina covers it all: what sparked the anxiety, how it attached itself to Hamilton and performing in general, the weight of keeping it all a secret, and how being open about everything led her down a much safer path. The bottom line is that no one has any idea what they're doing and we're all just trying to figure it out. Sabrina has been a swing with Hamilton since 2017 starting with the original Angelica Tour and including stops on Broadway (twice), the Eliza Tour (the Los Angeles sit down), the And Peggy Tour (which kicked off in Puerto Rico), and is currently on the Philip Tour. Sabrina on Instagram Sabrina's Fashion Account Sabrina on TikTok /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

Sabrina Imamura has been a swing with Hamilton since 2017 starting with the original Angelica Tour and including stops on Broadway (twice), the Eliza Tour (the Los Angeles sit down), the And Peggy Tour (which kicked off in Puerto Rico), and is currently on the Philip Tour. Sabrina started dancing and playing piano at three years old, with ballet being her first love and main focus. After a lot of success in the world of contemporary ballet and concert dancing, she graduated from the University of Michigan and began auditioning in New York City. Soon after, agents started sending her out for musical theatre. She didn't have a book, she'd never taken a voice lesson, and other than absolutely loving Phantom of the Opera, Sabrina had no *actual* musical theatre experience. Do you think that stopped Sabrina? ABSOLUTELY NOT. She grabbed her "Think of Me" sheet music, used her extensive piano skills to help her rehearse the vocals, harnessed what she called "fake confidence", and she walked into those audition rooms

Today I'm wrapping up with Terrance Martin, the dance captain and a swing currently on Hamilton's Philip Tour (and previously all over the world). This week, Terrance talks about his international experiences with Hamilton, including how exciting it was building up that tour with alums from every production of Hamilton worldwide. He also walks us through the role of a Dance Captain and how the way he focuses on the intentions of each character really informs the way he communicates. He has to know the intricacies of every role while being super tuned into his cast mates so he can give both the show and his fellow actors exactly what they need to kill it on stage.  And on the topic of legacy (because it always comes back to that, doesn't it?), Terrance talks about being a founding member of the Black Artist Dance Collective, a program focused on supporting and connecting Black artists and building the community he never had. /// Terrance Martin on Instagram Terrance Martin VO on Instagram Terrance's Website Th

Terrance Martin is back for round two and while everyone loves feeling seen, is there anything better than seeing your friend absolutely killing it at something they love and you get to hype them up and tell everyone how amazing they are? The answer is no. Terrance's journey to traveling the world as a Hamilton Swing and Dance Captain spans six years and in hearing him talk about his experiences and his friendships surrounding this show, you can tell that the invisible string theory is hard at work in his world.  This week Terrance talks about a life-changing Season of Yes but it took a lot of no's to get there and a lot of them were from Terrance! After a long look at his career and asking himself some very hard questions about how and why he wanted to be a performer in the first place, Terrance called his bestie and announced his retirement. His plan was to "bow out gracefully,” commit to teaching the next generation, and embark on his Season of Yes.  So naturally that's when the Universe jumped in and said

Terrance Martin is a multi-faceted performer and activist, a founding member of the Black Artists Dance Collective, and one of the best conversationalists on the planet. Terrance is currently the dance captain and a swing on the Philip Tour, and previously has been all over the world with Hamilton. It took him six years of auditioning to get there but that's actually great because he got a ton of experience performing in other great shows during that time. We talk a lot about redefining success, and that was all a major part of it. His approach to being a swing is so fun because Terrance has detailed backstories for every role on that stage and gives us a fascinating deep dive on why the psyche of these characters is so important. Shout out to his fellow Capricorns! This week, Terrance also talks about growing up an introvert who wanted to perform while having to learn to fight for his existence as a "Black feminine gay man in the red South." Terrance explains that his voice, his walk, his *light* didn't allo

Note: This is the last episode of 2024! I wish you a safe, fun, happy, and healthy holiday season and a fantastic start to the new year. The Hamilcast will be back the first week of January 2025 to kick off the ninth (!!!!!!) year of the podcast. Nicole deRoux is currently a swing on Hamilton's Philip tour, a role she recently transitioned into after performing as The Bullet for five years (that's over 50 cities and 1,500 performances). This week, Nicole is taking questions from the Patreon Peeps and talking about the little ways The Bullet is always adding pressure throughout the show, tells me about a PERFECT prank she pulled on Nik Walker, dives into her love of crafting, and explains why she loves being a swing. Nicole is an artist who loves museums and loves giving handmade gifts to her friends. From collages to junk journals to watercolor paintings of her castmates' specific corsets, Nicole is always looking for ways to express her love in creative ways. And sometimes that means getting bagels for every

Note: This episode was recorded in September of 2024. Nicole deRoux performed as The Bullet for five years (that's over 50 cities and 1,500 performances) before recently shifting gears and becoming a swing on the Philip Tour. This week, Nicole talks about her long-term activism and using her platform to speak out and do good work. Additionally, she talks about her incredible mother, who *also* balances the cerebral with the creative: she is a radiologist *and* an artist. Plus, Nicole explains why everyone needs to lose their mind during the Yorktown dance break and dives into her experience competing for Miss New Jersey including why she did it, what she learned, and why she's never doing it again. Alex Nicholson's Viral "Black Jobs" Video on TikTok /// Nicole on TikTok   Nicole on Instagram   Nicole's Website /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

Nicole deRoux is here for three episodes to wrap up 2024! Nicole played Woman 3 aka The Bullet on Hamilton's Philip Tour for five years and most recently became a swing, which she absolutely loves. Born and raised in New Jersey, Nicole has always had a balance between being academic and being creative; she grew up as a competition dancer, went to Drexel University on a dance scholarship, and graduated with a degree in marketing and retail merchandising. Hamilton was Nicole's first official gig right out of college and after five years of the bullet, performing over 1500 shows in over 50 cities, Nicole started to look towards the future. She jumped at the opportunity to make a change and take on more responsibility and with her post-Hamilton life in mind, she made the decision to turn her world upside down and become a swing. Nicole is also a big reader and makes a point to exclusively read diverse, non-male authors so she has some great recommendations if you too are sick and tired of the patriarchy. ///

Jisel Soleil Ayon (Hamilton's Philip Tour) is back for round two of our engaging and candid chat. This week, Jisel dives deeper into race and identity talking about her podcast Mixed in the Arts and opening up about her hair journey, where she learned to stop running towards whiteness (as she says) and to really see the beauty within herself. Jisel also talks about bringing herself to the Schuyler Sisters, being a scare actor on a ship, curating her Spotify based on mood as opposed to artists, how her ideal dinner party guest list is almost exclusively actors from those golden age classics, and why her happy place is "less about the where and more about the who." Plus, some final thoughts on self-confidence, having a place she can finally call her own, and the heartbreak of the nostalgia for a place you haven't built yet. /// Jisel's Linktree Mixed in the Arts Podcast Mixed in the Arts on Patreon /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

Jisel Soleil Ayon (Hamilton's Philip Tour) is here for two fun, authentic, and very honest episodes. Jisel grew up watching old musicals and performing as a kid but then she hit college where they do the ridiculous thing of making teenagers pick a major?! Insanity! While Jisel loved performing, she also wanted a job where she could make a living, so she took her passion for American Sign Language and studied speech pathology and speech therapy. During her second semester, she was cast as Daniela in In the Heights and everything changed. She switched schools, focused on performing, and her career has been thriving since she graduated. Jisel speaks very candidly about her initial apprehension towards Hamilton, her unexpected casting as a standby for the Schuyler sisters, and how being on tour as an offstage cover can actually be very lonely, especially for a self described "extroverted extrovert." /// Jisel's Linktree Mixed in the Arts Podcast Mixed in the Arts on Patreon /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast o

Eddie Ortega (Hercules Mulligan and James Madison on Hamilton’s Philip Tour) is back for round two and this week Eddie talks connecting to his roots in the Dominican Republic, recounts his awesome time in Chicago (singing at the National Anthem and going to restaurants in The Bear), and we do a deep dive into our astrological charts. Plus, Eddie takes questions from the Patreon Peeps including his fellow cast member Lucas Babcock, who asks him to breakdown his process for "We Know." Eddie on Instagram Eddie's Website /// Eddie Ortega, Marcus Choi, and Jared Howelton performing the National Anthem at the Chicago Bulls game Asia Ward on Spotify /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

Eddie Ortega (Hercules Mulligan and James Madison on Hamilton’s Philip Tour) is here to tell you what can happen if you work hard, *really* love what you do, and stay focused. In his first episode, Eddie talks about growing up in Florida and discovering his love of theater as a teenager. After being rejected from Florida State University, he did everything he could to get accepted and start building his career. From making his Dominican-born parents proud with his award-winning performance in Usnavi in In the Heights to seeing the world performing on a cruise ship, all roads seemed to lead to Hamilton. Eddie on Instagram Eddie's Website /// Lin-Manuel Miranda Performs at the White House Poetry Jam: (8 of 8) Eddie Ortega, Marcus Choi, and Jared Howelton performing the National Anthem at the Chicago Bulls game /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps

Lucas Babcock (John Laurens and Philip Hamilton on Hamilton's Philip tour) is back to talk about how booking Hamilton right out of school "was like jumping on a moving train." This week, Lucas dives into his favorite Hamilton moments and takes questions from the Patreon Peeps where he talks about his favorite hidden gems from his time traveling the world and why he absolutely loves going to Ren Faires. /// Lucas on Instagram Lucas's Website Elizabeth Babcock: Lucas's mother, founding director of the upcoming Smithsonian Women's Natural History Museum, and living legend. /// Gillian's Website The Hamilcast on Twitter The Hamilcast on Instagram Join the Patreon Peeps