One of the great faux pas of musical theater is the audience singing along to the performance, undercutting the skill of the actors and distracting fellow audience members.

So why during “Hamilton” did I find myself humming along to its opening numbers? Quieting myself took effort. The toe-tapping did not stop. Thankfully, I was not alone.

The woman next to me rapped to Kameron Richardson’s opening number as George Washington until her husband shushed her. I think half the audience sang along to King George III’s “da da das” (unclear if this was allowed – actor Paul Louis Lessard gestured and said “everyone,” but this is one of the more important rules for an audience. I need more permission than that.)

All that to say, the catchy, charming songs of “Hamilton” have great cultural cache.

The original cast is iconic even outside of those who had the chance to watch it on Broadway, thanks in part to a wildly popular cast recording which reached number one on album charts as well as a filmed version on Disney+. Its importance in present day Broadway cannot be understated, going beyond Tony, Grammy, Olivier and Pulitzer awards to have resonated broadly with Americans. This puts immense pressure on actors reprising those roles, stepping into the shoes of not only the nation’s founding fathers but also matching the high notes of original cast members.

The national tour currently at the Civic Theatre met those expectations, giving a world class performance showcasing their skills as actors, singers and dancers.

Jonathan Groff might be famous for spitting during King George III’s comedic interludes, but Lessard gave a memorable performance in his three solos. Lessard clearly has a beautiful and powerful voice, ringing out over the audience that he added a sneering and nasally affect to at key moments, titillating the audience.

Richardson gave his turn as Washington a captivating gravitas. Kendyl Sayuri Yokoyama infused Eliza Hamilton with softness and raw anger as she pushed Alexander Hamilton (Blaine Alden Krauss) away from the body of their son Philip.

Simon Longnight’s strutting Thomas Jefferson was so imminently hate-able it was surprising no one jumped from the audience to strangle him. His posture and voice were so douchey compared to the lovable Lafayette, it was impressive Longnight played them both.

One of the more difficult comparisons is between Lin-Manuel Miranda, who originated Alexander Hamilton in addition to writing the book, music and lyrics of “Hamilton,” and Krauss.

Miranda was easily the weakest singer of the original cast, with Krauss bringing a stronger voice to the character. Yet Miranda depicted the earnestness and ambition of Alexander in a way that made the founding father seems like a self-insert of Miranda’s own life as an immigrant using his writing to cement his legacy in the American history books.

Krauss lacked some of that deep-seated hunger, but in a way that made the main character seem like he was led by conviction more than insecurity, especially compared to the milquetoast Aaron Burr (Deon’te Goodman). Krauss and Goodman effectively showed the two men’s similar background as orphans leading to differing characters as adults that resulted in opposing reactions from the New York elite before their final deadly conflict.

The production did not feel like it had been cheapened for easy travel, with “Les Mis”-esque drinking hall scenery from David Korins, rolling staircases used magnificently in choreography from Andy Blankenbuehler, and wonderful lighting design from Howell Binkley. The turn table was still used dynamically in quiet scenes tracking bullets and the growing distance between characters. The large ensemble had better coordination with each other during complex choreography using both levels of the stage than I have seen in a while.

The only major issue was in the sound mixing for the first quarter of the show with a few mic issues later.

When the four friends, Marquis de Lafayette, Hercules Mulligan, John Laurens, and Hamilton, begin the show with their fast-talking explanations of the state of the emerging union, it was nearly impossible to distinguish their words over the orchestration. The accents did not help. It was only later when the voices became louder than the music that the words were articulate. Thankfully, body language communicated a lot, plus familiarity with the music.

The national tour of “Hamilton” had a triumphant return, showcasing why the musical has remained popular as it elicited tears, laughter and chills galore.

The moving musical is in San Diego at the Civic Theatre through May 18.

Find tickets and additional performance times at broadwaysd.com.