From singing in his church’s choir as the only kid in the stands, reciting speeches in front of large crowds, and sharing the theatre stage with former MHS Pirates, 2012 MHS graduate Adrian Weaver now sees it all pay off as he stars as one of the leading roles in Hamilton as George Washington.
Weaver has been touring all across North America, spreading joy as he participates in the popular musical display of our nation’s history. For those unfamiliar, Hamilton is an original Broadway musical that depicts the late 1700s story of Alexander Hamilton, showing his rise from being a humble immigrant to being placed as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury during the Revolutionary War and the Constitutional Convention.
Since then, various performances of the musical have been reenacted, however, this is the first time a former Pirate has been involved and landed a lead role.
Weaver dates his interest in theatre back to watching old Tyler Perry movies.
“I remember being around 8-years-old and seeing a Tyler Perry play on a vhs for the first time and seeing people doing everything I loved (singing and acting) on a stage and I decided then that when I grew up that’s what I would do,” he said.
Weaver cherishes his love for music and song in the memories of being a part of MHS’ Vocalteens of 2010/2011.
“It was like we were born to sing together,” he said. “Being part of that team grounds me to this day! We had a sound that was so big and so beautiful. I was always so honored to be a tiny piece of making that specific brand of magic happen when we’d sing together.”
Post-graduation, he had a hard time trying to build a career, especially since he had moved around a bit.
“I had to build a name and reputation in Chicago as an outsider essentially,” he said. “I moved to NYC in 2023 after having a successful career in Chicago, and in essence, prepared to put on my boxing gloves and do it again in a new market. Granted, by the time I moved to New York, I had a resume, an agent, and some ‘know-how’.”
Despite his past struggles, he acknowledges rejection and persistence as his key to success.
“Rejection in this business is inevitable, but you gotta keep swimming,” he said. “Your time is near. I didn’t just end up here, I willed it to happen. I’ve always had a vision for my career. Humbly, I am becoming exactly who I knew I’d be, and I’ve conducted my life in such a way that wouldn’t come back and bite me, compromise the dream or most importantly, embarrass my mother.”
Weaver is typically selective when it comes to selecting projects to pursue, however, Hamilton was an obvious exception.
“The message of this piece resonates on so many levels – especially now. Being a part of the biggest musical in the world was enough to peak interest, the fact that it’s this story during this time in the nation’s history is the cherry on top.”
The audition process to take on such a huge role consisted of video auditions and multiple in-person callbacks over the course of two months.
“Each time they would fly in another member of the creative team to see me and sign off on casting me,” he said. “I was initially auditioning to understudy three roles. I had a lot of material to learn in between auditions, and I had a dance audition. After doing all of that for about a month and a half, they changed their minds (for the better), and they decided they no longer wanted me to understudy, instead they wanted me in the role of George Washington full time.”
Weaver’s favorite part of touring is getting to see the world and meeting new people.
“I’ve performed in venues I dreamed of,” he said. “It’s also extremely hectic. It’s a balancing act striving for a balance that really doesn’t exist.”
Through MHS’ theatre production, Mrs. Reinhart is held in high esteem by Weaver, who he credits for helping prepare himself to take on the acting business.
“It is a fact in the business that Hamilton is 4 times harder to do than any other show,” he said. “While that’s 1000% true, I’m used to doing the hard thing. Mrs. Reinhart pushed us to excellence. She saw a drive in our crew, and we did the unexpected for a school of predominantly students of color.”
To anyone who wishes to watch and show support to Weaver, the upcoming touring dates and locations go as follows: Appleton, Wisconsin from February 3rd – February 15th; Kansas City, Missouri from February 18th – March 1st; and Chicago from March 4th – April 26th. For most people who don’t want to travel too far, the Chicago date may be the most ideal. More information can be found at hamiltonmusical.com.
“I hope I represent positively. I remember going to Chicago and seeing shows on choir field trips, declaring that one day I’d be the one on the stage inspiring students to reach for their dreams and proving to Mrs. Reinhart that her investment in me paid off. This win speaks to her legacy as an educator.”
