Welcome to Nashville, Alexander Hamilton. We've been waiting for you.

A touring performance nearly two years in the making, non-stop musical phenomenon "Hamilton" made its Nashville debut this week at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall.

Now almost five years removed from a culture-grabbing Broadway debut that earned a Grammy, Pulitzer and 11 Tony Awards (plus produced the wildly successful cast album that RIAA named the 7th-most certified release of the 2010s) and "Hamilton" kicks off a new decade with a three-week run in Music City.

And, yes. It's excellent.

"Hamilton" rips theatergoers out of a newly christened 2020 and into an 18th century American revolution — a time before pocket-sized 24-hour news cycles, but where political backstabbings and bedroom scandals nonetheless fueled social banter.

A hip-hop history book, a nuanced love story, an against-all-odds fight for freedom ... the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical introduces each character and storyline with a layered sophistication that's only matched by its ferocious spirit.

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By challenging the weight of a legacy and the hunger that drives each character, "Hamilton" demands the audience to find humanity in figures considered by generations to be larger-than-life.

These figures start with our love-him-or-leave-him $10 founding father, Alexander Hamilton, played by tenured touring cast member Joseph Morales. Tenacious, emotionally heavy-headed and zealous to a point that's humorous, the audience sees this orphan immigrant climb from nothing to become a war hero and civil servant daring to be ripped apart by his political opposition.

His greatest challenge? Historical antagonist Aaron Burr, played by Jared Dixon. For each fervent declaration from Hamilton, Burr counters with a polarizing non-commitment. It's a give-and-take pulled through marquee musical numbers (for every "My Shot" from Hamilton, Burr gets his "Wait For It") and into the show's most crucial moments.

And there's the steadfast George Washington, played by a poised Marcus Choi; the emotional throughline of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, performed by Erin Clemons; and the show-stealing flair of Marquis de Lafayette (act one) and Thomas Jefferson (act two), performed by Warren Egypt Franklin.

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But no character earns a healthier ovation than the cartoonish King George, played by Neil Haskell. Portrayed as America's jealous ex-lover, he intermittently interrupts the story with snotty (and fitting) Brit-pop commentary.

"Hamilton" adds depth with character perspective (like King George's reaction to losing the Revolutionary War or Aaron Burr being cut out of The Compromise of 1790), and the set design compliments these viewpoints. Scenes feature expert choreography, anchored by a rotating stage, ensemble cast and set pieces that color corners of plot not covered in the rapid-fire rap dialog.

And, no, it doesn't matter if you took diligent notes in history cast or religiously studied the cast album — knowing each historical nook, including the ending, doesn't distort the emotional payoff of hearing each note.

As the show says, it's simply about "who lives, who dies, who tells your story" — and this story's worth telling again and again.

If you go ...

When: Dec. 31-Jan. 19, times vary

Where: Andrew Jackson Hall, 505 Deaderick St.

Price: Limited tickets remain; Tennessee Performing Arts Center organizers urge ticket buyers not to purchase from secondhand markets.

More information: tpac.org.

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