Let’s talk about Hamilton!
So I’ve been a bit MIA from the blogosphere, and I’m going to go ahead and blame COVID?, but I felt the need to come back and talk about the mega phenomenon that is Hamilton. Last year I was lucky enough to see the play on Broadway in Philadelphia, and I’ve now seen the original on Disney+, and I have plenty of thoughts.
My first, and most unpopular, of opinions: Hamilton was just… OK.
Here’s the thing, I LOVE classic Broadway. Les Miserable, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, all of these are on the top of my absolute favorites list, and you can hear me singing One Day More on pretty much any given day (much to my husbands chagrin). So, I was excited to see Hamilton. I knew it was a very different type of play going in, and I probably should have listened to the soundtrack at least once, but I just don’t think it was my style. I had a hard time understanding the music (sorry!!!), and I really didn’t find the story itself to be interesting enough. That being said, I can certainly understand the talent it took to pull this off. I don’t know how these actors can sing like that, and the set, dance, and overall casting was phenomenal. It just wasn’t MY thing.
On a more positive note…
What an amazing cast.
As I said, I saw the off-Broadway Philadelphia cast perform and I just loved them, but seeing the original cast on Disney+ was a real treat. Seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda right there in the flesh (and not just his Moana voice in my head) was very cool, and let’s be real, Leslie Odom Jr. is magnificent. Moreover, as a fan of the TNT series Snowpiercer, I loved seeing Daveed Diggs rockin some traditional colonial garb.
This is a whole new genre of music being brought to Broadway – bravo!
Musicals aren’t for everyone. Not everyone loves hearing songs about tragically dying in France after you’ve become a prostitute to pay for your daughters room and board; or listening to a creepy scarred gentleman professing his love to the woman he’s kidnapped. And hey, we don’t all love listening to Idina Menzel shout at the top of her lungs how happy she is that she can freaking fly. So for those who feel the pull of a different type of music, there’s finally something for you. The Hamilton soundtrack consists primarily of hip hop, R&B, pop, and soul – it’s just as diverse as the radio! But seriously, this is a different type genre, and it’s probably a lot more relatable to the general public than your average show tune. So even for someone who loves those show tunes as much as I do, it’s refreshing to see something out there that appeals to everyone else.
All musicals should be available for streaming.
Let’s face it, musicals are hella expensive. Even for our nosebleed seats, which I was VERY fortunate to have had gifted to me, Hamilton cost over $100. Add to that dinner, train tickets, and god forbid a souvenir, and you’re talking big bucks just so see a play off-Broadway. If you want to trekk to NYC, well, we won’t even add those dollars up. Broadway shows are not for the financially unstable. They’re expensive, and scattered in theaters around the country, which doesn’t exactly make them easy to attend even if you have the money. But films like Rent, Jersey Boys, and Hamilton, among others, allow anyone and everyone to enjoy the show from the comfort of their own home. I truly believe all musicals should be filmed – what a wonderful way to get a broader audience to be able to experience them.
One caveat here – whoever thought making Cats into a film was a good idea needs to reevaluate their life.
Overall, I feel that I am on the right side of history in seeing the revolutionary (pardon my pun) new musical – both in person and on Disney+.
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