One of the Founding Fathers of Broadway's "Hamilton" is the guest on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's annual Pioneer Day concerts.
Christopher Jackson, who originated the role of George Washington in Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash musical, will join the choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square and conductors Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy in a pair of free concerts, July 14 and 15, in the LDS Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
Tickets are required, but they're free and will become available Tuesday at 10 a.m., first-come first-served, at lds.org/events. Saturday's performance will be livestreamed at motab.org/pioneerday and various other outlets.
"We are delighted to have Christopher Jackson join us for this year's concerts," Mormon Tabernacle Choir President Ron Jarrett said in a news release. "He is a multitalented artist with an amazing stage presence. Combined with the choir and orchestra, he will create a magical experience for audiences."
Jackson is featured on the Grammy Award-winning "Hamilton" cast recording and was nominated for a 2016 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. (The award went to his castmate Daveed Diggs, who played the dual role of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson.)
Miranda wrote the role of Washington with Jackson in mind. The two actors are longtime friends who also starred in the original production of Miranda's "In the Heights" together. "Chris is so sure of his instrument and has this kind of moral authority onstage," the composer wrote in "Hamilton: The Revolution," the story of the musical's creation. "He's just … majestic."
In addition to his work in "Hamilton," Jackson won an Emmy Award for "What I Am," a song he co-wrote with Will.i.am for public television's "Sesame Street." He was the voice of Chief Tui in the recent Disney hit "Moana" and currently has a featured role on the CBS drama "Bull."
Perhaps it's a sign of "Hamilton's" popularity in Utah that another former castmate, Leslie Odom Jr. — a Tony winner for his portrayal of Vice President Aaron Burr — will sing with the Utah Symphony at Deer Valley on the second night of Jackson's Tabernacle Choir gig.
Catherine Reese Newton
Christopher Jackson, left, and Allison Janney present the award for best direction of a play at the 71st annual Tony Awards on Sunday, June 11, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Michael Zorn/Invision/AP)
| Courtesy Jenny Anderson Christopher Jackson, who originated the role of George Washington in Broadway's "Hamilton" and will be the guest artist on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Pioneer Day concerts.
