'Hamilton' benefit to help fight AIDS/HIV

 

The cast of “Hamilton” is updating its colonial threads for the ultimate ‘90s–themed block party — a Memorial Day fundraiser at the Loft in downtown Lansing to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

 

The organization provides essential services for people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.

 

City Pulse interviewed Jennifer Geller, 24, a dancer in the cast of “Hamilton” who plays Bullet.

 

Basically, we have a friendly competition between all the Broadway tours and shows to see who can raise the most money. Not every cast does benefit concerts, but when we opened the first national tour of “Hamilton” in 2017, our stage manager at the time was very competitive about raising the most money. 

 

When we got to Detroit I was like, “This is the home of Motown, what better concert than the ‘Hamilton’ cast singing Motown songs.” When I was approached about the concert here, I thought a fun idea would be ‘90s. We have a lot of ‘90s babies in our cast of this tour, and I also think that it’s such a fun era. It’s Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Back Street Boys and New Kids on the Block. It’s just fun stuff. 

 

I don’t want to give too much away, but there is a mashup of the Disney movie musicals that our Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, Chaundre Hall-Broomfield, made. He put together this medley of all these songs so it’s like Aladdin, Tarzan, Lion King and that’s going to be our finale. 

 

 

I was living in New York at the time and flew home to celebrate Thanksgiving for the holidays. I had done my final callback for the show and I kind of left that in New York. Then the actual day before Thanksgiving, my agent called me and I was like, ‘No way.” I screamed so loud my dad thought I was in danger. 

 

“Hamilton” is kind of a character study on resilience. I’m interested in knowing how the theme carries in the play and if you can relate with that theme as a cast member?

 

 The trials and tribulations that Hamilton goes through and has to push through is a testament to how much of a human he was. He made a lot of bad mistakes. So, I feel like his resilience is definitely relatable and makes him more like a human, as opposed to celebrity.

 

I definitely feel like I’ve been resilient working on this show. This show is just such a beast. It’s never easy to get to that eighth show at the end of the week. We do eight shows in six days. So resilience is not only a theme in the show, but it is a theme within anyone’s life who is doing the show.

 

 

I would ask him about his relationship with John Laurens because supposedly there was some type of love affair there. I would ask him about his little relationship with Angelica, or whatever that was. Because a lot of the things are documented, but I feel like his personal life was really complicated and secretive in a way. 

 

 

The “Hamilton” exhibition just opened in Chicago and will tour in different cities. When we were in Washington, D.C., we recorded the opening number of the show with Lin-Manuel playing Hamilton and our company. At the very end of the exhibition, there is this 3D room where you can watch the recording from the show. So that has been the most memorable moment for me.

 

It is such a weird, full-circle thing because when I first saw the show, literally the first thing I said to myself was “I’m going to do this show with Lin.” It’s crazy because this isn’t just a one-time thing. That performance is forever there.

 

 

“Hamilton”

‘90s Block Party

Monday, May 27

Doors: 6 p.m.

$ 50 – $75

The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing

(517) 913-0103

www.theloftlansing.com