And then there were two.
Filipinos in the cast of “Hamilton,” that is.
So the mega hit musical show — approaching its 10th anniversary on Aug. 6 on the Great White Way — has another dash of Hawaii’s aloha spirit in the company.
You might recall we’ve earlier written about Marc delaCruz, who had been the lone Filipino performer in the ensemble. He’s originally from the Big Island, the first Filipino to play the hit show’s titular character, after understudying Alexander Hamilton originally played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show’s creator. DelaCruz emailed me recently that another former islander has joined the company, and he helped me get in touch with this colleague.
So say aloha to Reanne Acasio, a Filipino actress and also a former resident of Hawaii. She’s now in the ensemble but also has been understudying andctively playing the three Schuyler sisters, Angelica, Eliza and Peggy. She and delaCruz thus are the only Filipinos in the multi-racial cast…and both are proud of their heritage.
Acasio’s Broadway journey started in 2022 with a national tour of “Hamilton,” dubbed the Angelica Company, First National. “I was an offstage cover for Angelica, Eliza and Peggy, as well as one ensemble track,” said Acasio.
“I had gone to an open call in NYC, got one in-person callback for Eliza, and then had a series of Zoom callbacks and tapes that finally led to the job,” she said. “ I booked it with four days left on a contract in New Hampshire, with no jobs lined up afterward. It was a Godsend!”
She joined the Broadway “Hamilton” cast in 2024, this time as the onstage cover of the Schuyler sisters, performing every night in the ensemble while still understudying Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy.(She understudies a fourth role, Maria Reynolds, the character who has an affair with Alexander Hamilton).
Thus, when she reports to the Richard Rodgers Theatre every day, she winds up playing different characters, according to need.
“It’s quite fun to test my range,” she said. “You really never get bored. I’ve also gotten to make history as the first Filipina to play all three sisters on Broadway.”
By now, Acasio probably has performed the Schuylers dozens of times. “My favorites are Eliza and Angelica, but I do love the huge switch-up in energy from Peggy to Maria Reynolds. I love the subtleties, acting challenge, arc, and music of Eliza, and the strength, power vocals, and humor of Angelica.”
Acasio lived in Hawaii in the early 2000s, residing first in Kapolei then in Waipahu. During the pandemic, she lived in Honolulu. And yes, family members, flying in from all over the world, have seen her in ”Hamilton” “They were so proud to see me achieving my wildest dreams,” she said.
Before “Hamilton,” Acasio was part of the all-Filipino “Here Lies Love” on Broadway, based on the life of Imelda Marcos. Acasio shared the role of Aurora Aquino with Lea Salonga, the first Filipina to win a Tony Award for her pivotal portrayal of Kim in “Miss Saigon.”
Acasio appreciates how Broadway “has become more inclusive of all cultures, skin tones, genders, sexual orientations, and beliefs, than in the past. I am so lucky to witness and be a part of the industry in this era of celebrating diversity in storytelling. I think it’s cool that I get to play four different people in this show, and my heritage/skin tone isn’t the center of the story. I get to color my performance with my Filipino identity, for example, sprinkling a little “Ate” (Tagalog for older sister) energy when playing Angelica. But the audience sees me as Angelica, not as ‘the Filipina.’ Although it is such a joy to meet Filipinos at the stage door who get so excited that they saw a fellow Filipino onstage.”
While landing a role on Broadway is a dream come true, Acasio is a bona fide island girl and misses everything Hawaii. A military brat born in Guam, she has lived in Turkey, Germany, and different states. “I attended Hickam Elementary School, Kapolei Elementary School, and Kapolei Middle School in Hawaii,” she said. “My family and I lived on Oahu for six years.
Because New York is a concrete jungle, her thirst for Hawaii is natural. “I miss the green, the ocean, the ʻāina,” she said. “I miss going to hula as a kid in Kapolei at my neighbor’s house and as an adult at Halau Keolakapuokalani with kumu Drake Keolakapu Dudoit Delaforcé even getting to go to the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo. I miss the people and the community who took care of each other and the land. I miss the food — oh the food! I miss the music, the vibrant culture, the hikes, the sunrises. Hawaii was the best place I’ve ever lived, and I’ve gotten to experience a lot of the world in my lifetime. Hawaii will always feel like home”…
Two Broadway dramas recoup initial investment
George Clooney’s hit drama, “Good Night, and Good Luck,” no longer is in the $4 million club, but it earlier recouped the show’s initial investments. Clooney also is a Tony nominee for Best Actor in a Drama.
“Othello,” which also has passed the $3 million milestone, has managed to recover its initial investment, too, effective the week ending May 11.
Which means both shows are hereon riding the gravy train. But “Othello” has been snubbed, denying lead actor Denzel Washington a Tony nomination.
The Tonys are set for June 8 at the Radio City Music Hall. Since I have not visited Broadway since last June, I have not seen a single nominated production this year. Sigh…
The Top 10:
1—“Good Night, and Good Lock,” $3.812 million
2—“Othello,” $3.229 million
3—“Glengarry Glen Ross,” $2.432 million
4—“Wicked,” $2.128” million
5—“The Lion King,” $1.795 million
6—“Hamilton,” $1.660 million
7—“Death Becomes Here,” $1.343 million
8—“MJ the Musical,” $1.214 million
9—“The Picture of Dorian Gray,” $1.204 million
10—“Gypsy,” $1.180 million
The complete list of grosses, courtesy the Broadway League:
And that’s Show Biz…
