Historical hip-hop musical “Hamilton” took seven trophies including best new musical at British theater’s Olivier Awards, where women’s rights activists joined stage stars on the red carpet to support the Time’s Up movement.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical about US founding father Alexander Hamilton was nominated in a record 13 categories at Britain’s equivalent of the Tony Awards. The show, which turns an early chapter of US history into a compellingly modern story, opened in London in December after taking New York by storm.
Jamael Westman gained a best-actor nomination in the title role, but lost out to co-star Giles Terera, who plays Hamilton’s nemesis, Aaron Burr.
Michael Jibson took the supporting-actor trophy for playing colonies-losing British Monarch King George III.
The show - with a score that ranges from pop ballads and sexy R&B to rap battles - also won Oliviers for outstanding achievement in music, sound, lighting and choreography.
The seven wins didn’t beat the awards’ record haul of nine trophies, set last year by “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
