Latest news with #ThayneJasperson
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
10 Years Later, This Original Cast Member of Broadway's 'Hamilton' Is Still in the Room Where It Happens (Exclusive)
Thayne Jasperson opens up to PEOPLE about his decade-long run in the hit musical — and why he feels it's "meant to be"NEED TO KNOW Thayne Jasperson has remained a steady in Broadway's Hamilton since it opened 10 years ago The actor tells PEOPLE he "knew he had to be part of" the musical when he first began working on it during its workshops Tickets for Hamilton are now on saleOn the tenth anniversary of Hamilton raising its curtains on Broadway, one original cast member remains — and he has no plans of throwing away his shot. Thayne Jasperson hasn't always been the 'stick-around' type. 'I did Newsies for a year, Matilda for a year, Finding Neverland for six months and the West Side Story tour for a year,' the 45-year-old actor, singer and dancer tells PEOPLE. 'I was the year guy.' That all changed when Jasperson joined the early workshops for a new Off-Broadway musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton. The show would soon become Hamilton, the cultural phenomenon still in performances at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre. "I knew Hamilton was going to be epic, so I knew I had to be part of it," Jasperson recalls of joining the ensemble and portraying the scene-stealing loyalist, Bishop Samuel Seabury. So why did he make it past a year? 'I couldn't leave before the Tonys, then it was the Grammys, then we were filming it [for Disney+], now we have all of these people coming..." he says. "I just couldn't leave." "Did I know Obama or Beyoncé would show up to the show? No,' he adds with a laugh. 'But it's become this huge, epic thing that's kept me tied in. I always tell Lin [Manuel Miranda], 'You wrote too good of a show… I can't leave.' " Miranda affectionately calls Jasperson 'the ghost of the Richard Rodgers,' and for good reason. Some of the performer's fondest memories live in the walls, staircases and, of course, the stage of the theater. 'I remember our Eliza [Phillipa Soo] and I used to run up and down the stairs singing, 'I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with a wonderful guy,' just because,' he says. 'There was a group of us — me, [James] Madison [Okieriete Onaodowan] and two of the other ensemble boys — who all had longboards and would just skateboard through the streets downtown. I mean, there were a million amazing memories.' But with time came change, and not all of it was easy. 'The first change that was actually a hard one for me was when Hamilton became a bigger thing,' he admits. 'At first, we were this singular story; nobody else knew the words, no information, no video and I loved it when it was like that. Then it became this huge thing with casts around the country, and I had a hard time with that. But what's beautiful is that the story is so relatable.' Ten years later, Hamilton remains one of Broadway's most beloved shows, and Jasperson believes its staying power lies in how universal the material is. 'I think it's just the relatability mixed with truth,' he tells PEOPLE. 'It makes people proud of the country that was formed. They still have pride in what we've been able to do with the separation from the UK… That relatability keeps people coming back.' With a decades-worth of performance experience behind him, Jasperson says Hamilton taught him one of life's most powerful lessons: having faith in yourself. 'Hope in yourself is important,' he says. 'When I moved here with a one-way ticket, I stood in Times Square, set my suitcase down and my spirit was like, 'This is where you're meant to be. This is it. I had started my destination on Broadway, and I was gonna do it.' What's next for Jasperson? The future is unwritten, he says, and that's exactly how he likes it. 'You're gonna be wheeling me out in a wheelchair. I'm gonna be 82, and they'll be like, 'Get off the stage!'' he jokes. 'So what's next is more of this. I don't have a plan. I'm trying to be spontaneous and live in the moment. When something feels right, I move with it. This is where I'm meant to be. And I want to always be ready to move to my life's mission, whatever it may be.' Tickets for Hamilton are now on sale. Read the original article on People
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Thayne Jasperson still performing in Hamilton after 10 years as only original cast member
Broadway's Hamilton turned 10, and Thayne Jasperson is the only original cast member still performing in the show. Thayne Jasperson, now 45 years old, says he was never the type to stay in one show for long — he was 'the year guy.' He worked in Newsies, Matilda, Finding Neverland, and the West Side Story tour, usually for about a year each. Everything changed when he joined early workshops for a new Off-Broadway show about Alexander Hamilton, which would later become the hit musical Hamilton. Jasperson plays Bishop Samuel Seabury, a loyalist character who performs the comedic song Farmer Refuted. He says he knew from the start that Hamilton would be something special and that he had to be a part of it, as per the report People. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Why Thayne Jasperson never left Hamilton At first, he thought he would leave after a year, but kept staying because of big events — first the Tony Awards, then the Grammy Awards, then the Disney+ filming, and then the fans. He says, 'I just couldn't leave.' Jasperson joked that he told Lin-Manuel Miranda, 'You wrote too good of a show… I can't leave.' ALSO READ: Republican senator Marsha Brown just announced her bid for governor — who is she? Miranda calls him 'the ghost of the Richard Rodgers' Theatre, where Hamilton is performed. Jasperson says some of his favorite memories happened in the theater — like singing on the stairs with Eliza actress Phillipa Soo for fun. He remembers a group of them — including himself, Okieriete Onaodowan (James Madison), and others — riding longboards and skateboarding through downtown during breaks, as per the report by People. Live Events Hamilton's success and what it taught him He says there were 'a million amazing memories' from the early days of Hamilton. But not all changes were easy. The first difficult moment for him came when Hamilton became a worldwide phenomenon. He loved the early days, when it was just one cast, no videos online, and no one outside knew the words. As more casts across the country joined and the show grew bigger, it felt different to him. Still, he says the growth is beautiful, because the story is relatable and powerful. Jasperson believes Hamilton remains strong even after 10 years because of its universal themes and emotional truth, as stated by People's report. He says the show makes people feel proud of how the U.S. separated from the UK and built its identity. The connection audiences feel to that story keeps them coming back to the theater. Jasperson also shares a personal story about moving to New York with a one-way ticket, putting his suitcase down in Times Square, and feeling deep inside that he had found his place. ALSO READ: No tariff trouble here! Shopify stock jumps 20% on blowout quarter and bullish outlook He says that moment told him, 'This is where you're meant to be.' He believes Hamilton taught him the value of self-belief and hope. 'Hope in yourself is important,' he says. When asked what's next, he says the future is open and he likes it that way — he wants to stay spontaneous, as per the reports. He jokes, 'You're gonna be wheeling me out in a wheelchair. I'm gonna be 82, and they'll be like, 'Get off the stage!'' Right now, he wants to keep doing what feels right and follow his mission in life, whatever it may be. He ends by saying, 'This is where I'm meant to be.' Tickets for Hamilton are still on sale at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre, as mentioned in the report by People. FAQs Q1. Who is the only original Hamilton cast member still performing? Thayne Jasperson is the only original cast member still performing in Hamilton after 10 years. Q2. Why did Thayne Jasperson stay in Hamilton for so long? He stayed because of major events like the Tonys, Grammys, Disney+ filming, and his deep love for the show.
