If you’ve ever found yourself humming a certain three-note harmony while walking down a busy street, you know the power of the Schuyler sisters. Honestly, it’s a vibe. But while most of us can belt out “Work!” at the top of our lungs, there’s a lot more to the story of how Phillipa Soo became the emotional heartbeat of Hamilton.
People tend to lump the three sisters together as a singular pop-culture force. In reality, the way Phillipa Soo approached Eliza was what grounded the entire show's frantic, hip-hop energy into something deeply human.
How Phillipa Soo actually landed the role of Eliza Schuyler
Most people assume there was some massive, high-stakes audition process with thousands of people lining the block of the Richard Rodgers Theatre. That’s not really how it happened.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and director Thomas Kail actually "discovered" Soo while she was starring in another Off-Broadway hit, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. She was playing Natasha—a role that required a mix of innocence and devastating heartbreak.
Miranda and Kail saw her and basically knew she was their Eliza. They invited her to a table read in early 2014 specifically to hear how Act II sounded. Think about that for a second. The show wasn't even fully "baked" yet. Phillipa wasn't just stepping into a role; she was helping them find out who Eliza was through the music.
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The "Work!" that went into the harmony
The title track for the trio, "The Schuyler Sisters," is arguably the catchiest song in the show. But did you know it actually changed because of the chemistry between the actresses?
Originally, the song was a bit more straightforward. However, when Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Jasmine Cephas Jones started sharing a dressing room at The Public Theater, something clicked. They began harmonizing for fun behind the scenes. Miranda saw how much they genuinely enjoyed singing together and decided to lean into it. He added those "gratuitous runs" and complex harmonies specifically because the three of them could pull it off so effortlessly.
Phillipa Soo: The Schuyler Sisters' secret weapon for emotional depth
While Angelica (Goldsberry) gets the intellectual, fast-paced rap and Peggy (Jones) gets the memes, Eliza has the hardest job. She has to carry the audience through the trauma of the second act.
If you watch the filmed version on Disney+, pay attention to Soo’s face during "Burn." It’s not just about the singing. It’s the stillness. She made a conscious choice to play Eliza as the "oil to Hamilton's vinegar." Where Alexander is all fire and constant motion, Phillipa’s Eliza is the pause. She’s the one telling him to "look around" and "stay."
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The "Burn" controversy you probably forgot
There was actually a lot of debate during the development of the show about how Eliza should react to the Reynolds Pamphlet. In early versions—specifically a song called "First Burn"—Eliza was much angrier. She was confrontational. She was vocal.
Phillipa Soo and the creative team eventually realized that the "Burn" we know today was more powerful because it was a private moment of agency. By burning the letters, she wasn't just being sad; she was actively erasing herself from a narrative she no longer wanted to be a part of. That nuance is all Soo. She insisted on finding the strength in Eliza’s silence.
Life after the corset: Where is Phillipa Soo now?
A lot of fans lost track of "Pippa" after she left the show in 2016. She didn't just disappear into the Broadway archives. She’s been incredibly busy, though she’s pivoted quite a bit from the "Schuyler sister" archetype.
- Amélie: She originated the title role in the Broadway musical adaptation of the French film.
- The Parisian Woman: She starred alongside Uma Thurman.
- Into the Woods: She played Cinderella in the star-studded 2022 revival.
- Camelot: She took on the iconic role of Guenevere at Lincoln Center in 2023.
Beyond the stage, she’s moved into TV with roles in Dopesick and Shining Girls. Most recently, in 2025, she took on the role of Mary Magdalene in a concert revival of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl, acting opposite Cynthia Erivo. She’s also become a New York Times best-selling author with her children’s book, Piper Chen Sings.
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The legacy of the "Schuyler Sisters" in 2026
It’s been over a decade since the show first hit the stage, but the impact of Phillipa Soo and the Schuyler sisters hasn't faded. It’s actually evolved.
We now see "Eliza" not just as a character, but as a symbol of historical preservation. Through "The Eliza Project," which Soo co-founded, she’s continued the real Eliza Hamilton’s work with the Graham Windham orphanage. It’s one of those rare cases where an actor’s life and their character’s legacy actually blur into something meaningful.
Why it still matters
The Schuyler sisters represent a very specific kind of sisterhood—one that is intellectual, fierce, and complicated. They aren't just there to support the men; they are "looking for a mind at work."
Phillipa Soo’s performance proved that you don't have to be the loudest person in the room to be the most important. In a show filled with fast-talking men, she made sure the last word belonged to a woman.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Broadway or want to see what Phillipa is up to next, here are a few things you should check out:
- Watch the "Hamilton's America" documentary on PBS or GBS to see the raw footage of Phillipa in the rehearsal room.
- Listen to the "Warriors" concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, where Phillipa voices the character of Fox.
- Support Graham Windham, the actual orphanage Eliza started, which Phillipa still champions today.
Next Step: You can look up the "The Eliza Project" online to see how the cast continues to support the orphanage founded by the real Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton.