It’s so much safer in the world of Alexander Hamilton.
May 30, 2016 8:25 AM Subscribe
"This is all hilarious, of course — a 14-year-old girl utterly fanatical about the Founding Fathers — that is until you realize that it isn’t going away." Joe Posnanski of NBC Sports on taking his 14 year old daughter, Elizabeth, to see Hamilton.
Great piece. I figure I won't get to ever see Hamilton as it's next to impossible to get tickets and I live in Texas and flying up to NY for a musical would be totally awesome but I am unlikely to do it.
Still the totally transformative nature of the Hamilton musical is really inspiring.
posted by vuron at 8:46 AM on May 30, 2016
Still the totally transformative nature of the Hamilton musical is really inspiring.
posted by vuron at 8:46 AM on May 30, 2016
That was a lovely piece. It confirms to me with every line it quotes that I will never see Hamilton but it is a lovely piece of writing.
posted by biffa at 8:48 AM on May 30, 2016
posted by biffa at 8:48 AM on May 30, 2016
Someone must have left a load of hay here in my apartment...
posted by mumimor at 8:49 AM on May 30, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by mumimor at 8:49 AM on May 30, 2016 [6 favorites]
Just last night my husband was pondering teenagers and Hamilton (we have a 15 year old) with some confusion. This article is a great and moving perspective.
posted by Malla at 9:06 AM on May 30, 2016
posted by Malla at 9:06 AM on May 30, 2016
Vuron, a touring production is coming to Houston in 2017.
posted by Brittanie at 9:07 AM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Brittanie at 9:07 AM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
Is the tour going to have Broadway cast? If so I might need to purchase tickets now
posted by vuron at 9:24 AM on May 30, 2016
posted by vuron at 9:24 AM on May 30, 2016
Yeah, Hamilton is touring in 2017. Those tix are also likely to sell out and cost a fortune, though (the Ahmanson in LA has tried blackmailing me to buy this entire season to guarantee me tickets for Hamilton NEXT season).
Frankly, I'd rather they did something like the Met doing live streaming to theaters. Who wouldn't want to get a chance to see, even via tele, the Broadway production on a Broadway stage?
...
Derail: why is this still not a common thing for theater revenue?
posted by linux at 9:26 AM on May 30, 2016 [19 favorites]
Frankly, I'd rather they did something like the Met doing live streaming to theaters. Who wouldn't want to get a chance to see, even via tele, the Broadway production on a Broadway stage?
...
Derail: why is this still not a common thing for theater revenue?
posted by linux at 9:26 AM on May 30, 2016 [19 favorites]
Hamilton is a very limited commodity but the idea of going to a food serving movie theatre and being able to watch a HD telecast of Hamilton while eating food and drinking would be beyond awesome.
On the off chance a Hamilton production person is a Mefite please make this happen
posted by vuron at 9:33 AM on May 30, 2016 [19 favorites]
On the off chance a Hamilton production person is a Mefite please make this happen
posted by vuron at 9:33 AM on May 30, 2016 [19 favorites]
the Ahmanson in LA has tried blackmailing me to buy this entire season to guarantee me tickets for Hamilton NEXT season
It's not the only one. That's the case at the Kennedy Center in DC, too. I think it's the tactic most theaters are taking.
The thing that bothers me most about the Hamilton fervor is that the kids who who could most benefit from seeing themselves reflected on the Broadway stage--Black and Brown kids--are disproportionately unlikely to be able to afford doing so.
I can't really blame Manuel & Co for that, because most people in theater work hard enough as it is to make an income. But I wish there were more low-cost options, like streaming it as linux has said. I heard there is talk of taping it but no word on where that is.
Is the tour going to have Broadway cast? If so I might need to purchase tickets now
It won't have Lin-Miranda Manuel, as for the others I think many of them are leaving at the end of this season.
posted by Anonymous at 9:35 AM on May 30, 2016
It's not the only one. That's the case at the Kennedy Center in DC, too. I think it's the tactic most theaters are taking.
The thing that bothers me most about the Hamilton fervor is that the kids who who could most benefit from seeing themselves reflected on the Broadway stage--Black and Brown kids--are disproportionately unlikely to be able to afford doing so.
I can't really blame Manuel & Co for that, because most people in theater work hard enough as it is to make an income. But I wish there were more low-cost options, like streaming it as linux has said. I heard there is talk of taping it but no word on where that is.
Is the tour going to have Broadway cast? If so I might need to purchase tickets now
It won't have Lin-Miranda Manuel, as for the others I think many of them are leaving at the end of this season.
posted by Anonymous at 9:35 AM on May 30, 2016
The thing that bothers me most about the Hamilton fervor is that the kids who who could most benefit from seeing themselves reflected on the Broadway stage--Black and Brown kids--are disproportionately unlikely to be able to afford doing so.
If it helps at all, NYC public schools were granted a ton of comped tickets to it.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:38 AM on May 30, 2016 [25 favorites]
If it helps at all, NYC public schools were granted a ton of comped tickets to it.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:38 AM on May 30, 2016 [25 favorites]
Yeah, they had to pony up $10 to get skin in the game, but LMM has been putting this in front of minority teenagers more than any Broadway show ever has.
posted by corb at 9:47 AM on May 30, 2016 [21 favorites]
posted by corb at 9:47 AM on May 30, 2016 [21 favorites]
Lin has also said he hopes they'll be able to do the cheap tickets for public school kids on the tour. I think he's said it's definite in Chicago.
posted by Mavri at 10:09 AM on May 30, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by Mavri at 10:09 AM on May 30, 2016 [10 favorites]
This was a very good essay about parenting.
I look forward to Hamilton coming our way on the road in a couple of years. I know there's something special about seeing it on Broadway with the original cast, but there's so much talent in the world that I expect to be quite happy with the performers who bring it our way.
If one of my kids were into it like the author's daughter, I would consider trying to spend the money to get them to it. There is something deeply satisfying about being with your kid when they get to a place that's magical for them.
posted by not that girl at 10:28 AM on May 30, 2016 [3 favorites]
I look forward to Hamilton coming our way on the road in a couple of years. I know there's something special about seeing it on Broadway with the original cast, but there's so much talent in the world that I expect to be quite happy with the performers who bring it our way.
If one of my kids were into it like the author's daughter, I would consider trying to spend the money to get them to it. There is something deeply satisfying about being with your kid when they get to a place that's magical for them.
posted by not that girl at 10:28 AM on May 30, 2016 [3 favorites]
I sincerely hope that they have filmed the original cast of Hamilton for later broadcast on Great Performances. There are a lot of original casts and productions of musicals that have been filmed this way (especially a lot of Sondheim) that I would never have been able to see otherwise.
posted by hippybear at 10:35 AM on May 30, 2016 [11 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 10:35 AM on May 30, 2016 [11 favorites]
The current cast all have one year conracts, according to LMM. He's quoted as hoping there is a way of getting this cast captured on film/video before that contract ends.
As for touring shows, there will be two casts initially: one that sets up shop in Chicago this fall and will remain open while sales stay strong, and another that will start national touring next spring. According to a NYT article (previously on MeFi? Not sure), a lot of the local theatre groups are indeed trying to drum up subscriptions by promising Hamilton seats for those who subscribe to the upcoming season and the following season (when Hamilton will actually show up).
posted by lhauser at 10:50 AM on May 30, 2016
As for touring shows, there will be two casts initially: one that sets up shop in Chicago this fall and will remain open while sales stay strong, and another that will start national touring next spring. According to a NYT article (previously on MeFi? Not sure), a lot of the local theatre groups are indeed trying to drum up subscriptions by promising Hamilton seats for those who subscribe to the upcoming season and the following season (when Hamilton will actually show up).
posted by lhauser at 10:50 AM on May 30, 2016
Be careful. Studying Hamilton's time can be a gateway drug to comic books. (Either that or there are alien assassins in the musical already, in which case, carry on.)
posted by delfin at 10:56 AM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by delfin at 10:56 AM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
"And then the show begins, Aaron Burr on the stage, talking about that bastard orphan Hamilton, and within about two minutes you realize the thing makes Hamilton magical is this: It’s going to be even better than you had hoped."
Yep.
posted by chris24 at 11:07 AM on May 30, 2016 [3 favorites]
Yep.
posted by chris24 at 11:07 AM on May 30, 2016 [3 favorites]
If you can't score tickets to Hamilton, take comfort in the fact that CATS is returning to Broadway. Not many musicals can claim to be both now and forever.
posted by dr_dank at 11:10 AM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by dr_dank at 11:10 AM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
He's quoted as hoping there is a way of getting this cast captured on film/video before that contract ends.
Some of it has already been recorded, as there are youtube scraps of various numbers done on the stage.
posted by Theta States at 11:17 AM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
Some of it has already been recorded, as there are youtube scraps of various numbers done on the stage.
posted by Theta States at 11:17 AM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
When my wife and I were at the stage door (Well, she was. I was a ways back watching her fangirl.) there were these two teenagers clutching their playbills while learning about flirting. Their parents were patiently looking on and it was, like, the cutest thing ever.
There must be at least some official video because those gifs are coming from *somewhere*.
posted by stet at 11:59 AM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
There must be at least some official video because those gifs are coming from *somewhere*.
posted by stet at 11:59 AM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
Mod note: Couple comments deleted. If you think Hamilton sucks, just pass this by, there are plenty of other places to argue about the present day US financial situation.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 12:16 PM on May 30, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 12:16 PM on May 30, 2016 [8 favorites]
Can't speak to Hamilton, as I never was a theater kid, but that bit about delving so deeply into something (Hamilton, Cleveland Browns) as a way of coping with the uncertainty of adolescence rings very very true. For me it was Magic: The Gathering and other RPGs.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:21 PM on May 30, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Existential Dread at 12:21 PM on May 30, 2016 [5 favorites]
For me it was Jeebus and church youth groups, but yeah. Having something that exists outside yourself that you can dive into to help you through those difficult years can be a big help.
posted by hippybear at 12:25 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by hippybear at 12:25 PM on May 30, 2016
Hmmm... But Alexander Hamilton didn't grow up in poverty or squalor. In fact he grew up pretty well off compared to most kids. Yes as a boy he did lose rights to his inheritance, and yes what he acquired later in life he acquired all on his own. But he grew up with the life of an upper class educated child and he wasn't even aware of the fact that his parents weren't married until he was about 7 or so because they all lived together as a family.
posted by manderin at 12:38 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by manderin at 12:38 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
Video of a Mom and her 11 year old waiting for 50 hours for cancellation tickets
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:09 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:09 PM on May 30, 2016
lmm has been pretty clear, before hamilton and now, that he feels like anything that isn't watching a play/musical in a theater, live, where the audience and performers are reacting to each other is changing the work - even doing something like the grammy performance - and that maybe one day there will be a movie or a release of a filmed version of the show, but that time is not now and it likely won't be for quite some time. i think it's best to look towards big anniversaries 10, 15, 20 years before we get something like that. he's far more interested and driven to get it on as many stages as possible.
the clips you see on youtube or during news clips or whatever are part of a press package and if you pay attention, there are only a few clips being reused over and over. we'll likely get quite a few more when the pbs show happens later this year. i don't think either of these are evidence that there's a fully taped version with the principle cast, but i would also bet that's going to happen if it hasn't already (and then the question becomes, which king george is on it?).
posted by nadawi at 1:16 PM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
the clips you see on youtube or during news clips or whatever are part of a press package and if you pay attention, there are only a few clips being reused over and over. we'll likely get quite a few more when the pbs show happens later this year. i don't think either of these are evidence that there's a fully taped version with the principle cast, but i would also bet that's going to happen if it hasn't already (and then the question becomes, which king george is on it?).
posted by nadawi at 1:16 PM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
The thing about seeing Hamilton RIGHT NOW at its peak moment is that even before it begins, the entire theater is filled with wonder. Every single person would rather be here than anywhere else in the world. As a sportswriter, I often feel that sort of energy at the biggest events, at the Masters or the Super Bowl or the Olympics, but it’s even more pronounced in this theater. People look at each other with the same wide-eyed expression: “Can you believe we’re here?”
Yes, this. This was the amazing thing about seeing Hamilton on Broadway. Beyond the performances, which were incredible (Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, and Chris Jackson were the standouts for me), I think this is what made the experience magical. I don't know if I've ever before been in a room with a thousand people who all just seemed so thrilled to be there. And you could feel how that energy of the audience being so on the performers' side lifted them up as well.
Also, I have noticed there's been a bumper crop of pieces lately that try to deconstruct why Hamilton is so special, so beloved. I really like this author's theory, and I've liked a lot of the others I've read, but I don't think it's just one thing. It's a confluence of so many factors - from things inherent to the show itself, like the beauty of the music and the talent of the performers, to things out there in the cultural zeitgeist that I can barely begin to parse - that have sort of come together in a pop culture perfect storm.
I really, really, really do hope they've filmed the show with as much of the original cast as possible. It seems almost cruel if they haven't, because there are so many kids out there desperate to see it, who won't be able to otherwise. I have to think that someone who identifies so strongly with teen theater geeks as LMM does, and who wrote a whole play about solidifying one's legacy, will do it, or already has.
posted by lunasol at 1:22 PM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
Yes, this. This was the amazing thing about seeing Hamilton on Broadway. Beyond the performances, which were incredible (Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, and Chris Jackson were the standouts for me), I think this is what made the experience magical. I don't know if I've ever before been in a room with a thousand people who all just seemed so thrilled to be there. And you could feel how that energy of the audience being so on the performers' side lifted them up as well.
Also, I have noticed there's been a bumper crop of pieces lately that try to deconstruct why Hamilton is so special, so beloved. I really like this author's theory, and I've liked a lot of the others I've read, but I don't think it's just one thing. It's a confluence of so many factors - from things inherent to the show itself, like the beauty of the music and the talent of the performers, to things out there in the cultural zeitgeist that I can barely begin to parse - that have sort of come together in a pop culture perfect storm.
I really, really, really do hope they've filmed the show with as much of the original cast as possible. It seems almost cruel if they haven't, because there are so many kids out there desperate to see it, who won't be able to otherwise. I have to think that someone who identifies so strongly with teen theater geeks as LMM does, and who wrote a whole play about solidifying one's legacy, will do it, or already has.
posted by lunasol at 1:22 PM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
Based on clues we've gotten from various sources, it seems like the Tonys performance will include at least Wait For It and It's Quiet Uptown in what must be some ridiculous medley.
posted by kmz at 1:30 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by kmz at 1:30 PM on May 30, 2016
I don't understand how they can do Its Quiet Uptown with the full impact..
posted by corb at 1:35 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by corb at 1:35 PM on May 30, 2016
I don't understand how they can do Its Quiet Uptown with the full impact..
My guess is they will go for some other context, like this.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:37 PM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
My guess is they will go for some other context, like this.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:37 PM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
A word on filming a performance that has nothing to do with Lin-Manuel Miranda's (correct) assertion that filming the show changes it.
One of the things that killed Vaudeville was the advent of film. Many Vaudeville act were based on gimmicks or tricks ("Hey, I got this bear to ride a unicycle!"). When the only way you got to see that act was to shell out 25 cents for a ticket when that act was on the bill, there was a reason to go see it. Many act allowed their acts to be filmed not realizing that this meant people would feel like they didn't need to see the act live now since they'd already seen it. This basically put a bunch of acts out of business.
At this time, a recording of the original cast in Hamilton could potentially kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. It discourages many people from coming to see it since they've already seen it - even though the experience of seeing a show live is completely different from watching it on Vimeo.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:17 PM on May 30, 2016 [6 favorites]
One of the things that killed Vaudeville was the advent of film. Many Vaudeville act were based on gimmicks or tricks ("Hey, I got this bear to ride a unicycle!"). When the only way you got to see that act was to shell out 25 cents for a ticket when that act was on the bill, there was a reason to go see it. Many act allowed their acts to be filmed not realizing that this meant people would feel like they didn't need to see the act live now since they'd already seen it. This basically put a bunch of acts out of business.
At this time, a recording of the original cast in Hamilton could potentially kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. It discourages many people from coming to see it since they've already seen it - even though the experience of seeing a show live is completely different from watching it on Vimeo.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:17 PM on May 30, 2016 [6 favorites]
Frankly, I'd rather they did something like the Met doing live streaming to theaters. Who wouldn't want to get a chance to see, even via tele, the Broadway production on a Broadway stage?
...
Derail: why is this still not a common thing for theater revenue?
Good reasons, actually. They filmed the opening number for the Grammys, and if you watch (I think this link will work although there may be a better one) you'll see that it's not as simple as just putting three cameras in the wings like it's a sports game.
Telling a story cinematically, and doing it well, means choosing how to describe each moment within the camera frame. Which characters do you catch in the frame? From what angle? Creating what shapes? Which moments get a close-up? When do you cut? The Grammys (from what I've read) had their own director for that number, and I think two cinematographers, and it took them more than a day to plan how they would film it, even though it was already all choreographed. And they'd probably agree that they could have done a better job given more than a day.
Directing is hugely different. Even at its best, the camera will cut out a huge amount of the stage and the ensemble (and I'd argue that in this case it cut out a tad bit of subtext as well). It's much harder to place five people within a camera frame. (Meanwhile it's easier to get the kind of effects they create using the turntable stage.) The camera changes the acting, as well, since close-ups don't exist on stage, and the body language and expressions have to be much "louder," in ways that can appear overdone and garish on camera.
So using the camera skillfully takes a lot of creative work and creates a notably different product. What about using it unskillfully? Just put a camera in the center of the fourth row, maybe one on either side. You may think that's better than nothing; LMM has stated publicly that he disagrees. I've actually watched a production like that - a production of Much Ado About Nothing, by the Karamazov Brothers, which was filmed from the back of the house. I suppose it was better than nothing, but I do think it captures the worst of both worlds. None of the energy that's in the room, none of the narrative framing that a cinematographer would make. (And worse image and sound quality.)
Also "Hamilton" has been doing ticket lotteries for every performance precisely in order to make it more accessible. The cast album was made and released much more quickly, and is more complete, and higher quality than is typical. LMM is well aware of the issues here. It's just, theater is what he values. I can't blame him for that.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 2:30 PM on May 30, 2016 [19 favorites]
...
Derail: why is this still not a common thing for theater revenue?
Good reasons, actually. They filmed the opening number for the Grammys, and if you watch (I think this link will work although there may be a better one) you'll see that it's not as simple as just putting three cameras in the wings like it's a sports game.
Telling a story cinematically, and doing it well, means choosing how to describe each moment within the camera frame. Which characters do you catch in the frame? From what angle? Creating what shapes? Which moments get a close-up? When do you cut? The Grammys (from what I've read) had their own director for that number, and I think two cinematographers, and it took them more than a day to plan how they would film it, even though it was already all choreographed. And they'd probably agree that they could have done a better job given more than a day.
Directing is hugely different. Even at its best, the camera will cut out a huge amount of the stage and the ensemble (and I'd argue that in this case it cut out a tad bit of subtext as well). It's much harder to place five people within a camera frame. (Meanwhile it's easier to get the kind of effects they create using the turntable stage.) The camera changes the acting, as well, since close-ups don't exist on stage, and the body language and expressions have to be much "louder," in ways that can appear overdone and garish on camera.
So using the camera skillfully takes a lot of creative work and creates a notably different product. What about using it unskillfully? Just put a camera in the center of the fourth row, maybe one on either side. You may think that's better than nothing; LMM has stated publicly that he disagrees. I've actually watched a production like that - a production of Much Ado About Nothing, by the Karamazov Brothers, which was filmed from the back of the house. I suppose it was better than nothing, but I do think it captures the worst of both worlds. None of the energy that's in the room, none of the narrative framing that a cinematographer would make. (And worse image and sound quality.)
Also "Hamilton" has been doing ticket lotteries for every performance precisely in order to make it more accessible. The cast album was made and released much more quickly, and is more complete, and higher quality than is typical. LMM is well aware of the issues here. It's just, theater is what he values. I can't blame him for that.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 2:30 PM on May 30, 2016 [19 favorites]
- Also a telecast of any sort makes it a lot easier to bootleg. And leads to those issues in the comment just above about Vaudeville.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 2:31 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 2:31 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
This guy is an outstanding writer.
posted by Kangaroo at 2:33 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Kangaroo at 2:33 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
A strikingly good piece, made me happy to be alive and captured a lot of what I think many of us feel when we experience Hamilton.
posted by teh_boy at 2:34 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by teh_boy at 2:34 PM on May 30, 2016
If you think that modern live broadcasting/filming of theater events is just a three camera event, you haven't seen any of the Great Performances filmings of musicals across the past 20 years or have not attended any of the Metropolitan Opera live cinema events. Modern technology has changed the game in the past 5 or so years to the point where you can sit in a movie theater and watch a live Met broadcast and it is not only entirely non-obtrusive to the audience where the event is being staged, but it is not just a few cameras in the wings.
They could do similar things with basically any event happening on stage, but they don't do it nearly often enough.
posted by hippybear at 2:35 PM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
They could do similar things with basically any event happening on stage, but they don't do it nearly often enough.
posted by hippybear at 2:35 PM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
His Harry Potter World story was also a nice read.
posted by cazoo at 4:22 PM on May 30, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by cazoo at 4:22 PM on May 30, 2016 [5 favorites]
I'm in a big happy private FB group of Hamilfans, a lot of whom are parents of small, medium, and big kids who are also huge fans, and have gotten to hear some really wonderful stories of family bonding.
Many of them won't have the means or access to see it, or at least not for years yet, but just being big fans of a thing together has been a very powerful experience for them.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:35 PM on May 30, 2016 [3 favorites]
Many of them won't have the means or access to see it, or at least not for years yet, but just being big fans of a thing together has been a very powerful experience for them.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:35 PM on May 30, 2016 [3 favorites]
I was caught off guard hearing about this, and then my friend's teenage daughter proceeded to school me on Spies Like Us trivia. Her dad done good.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:59 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:59 PM on May 30, 2016
No, shit, it was Three Amigos. That's how lame I am nowadays.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:00 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:00 PM on May 30, 2016
This was wonderful and sweet.
But I have a really naive question: how do you become such a fan of something you haven't seen? That sounds dismissive, which is not the tone I'm going for at all. Rather, Hamilton sounds awesome, and I would like to get into it. But how do I do that? How are all these kids doing that? I googled and found a Wikipedia summary and some YouTube clips, but clearly this level of obsession is built on a lot more than that. How? Where?
posted by forza at 6:45 PM on May 30, 2016
But I have a really naive question: how do you become such a fan of something you haven't seen? That sounds dismissive, which is not the tone I'm going for at all. Rather, Hamilton sounds awesome, and I would like to get into it. But how do I do that? How are all these kids doing that? I googled and found a Wikipedia summary and some YouTube clips, but clearly this level of obsession is built on a lot more than that. How? Where?
posted by forza at 6:45 PM on May 30, 2016
They put out a recording of the original cast singing the whole show. Basically the whole thing takes place in the songs, so you're not missing dialogue and you can follow the whole story just through the audio. Here are the lyrics with annotations.
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:48 PM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:48 PM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
The audio is also on Youtube for your immediate fall-down-the-rabbit-hole needs.
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:50 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:50 PM on May 30, 2016
The cast album is online (spotify, youtube) for legit free streaming. I came to the fandom by listening and becoming immediately obsessed.
I saw it a couple of weeks ago and it surpassed all my expectations. Crying while going into the theatre? Yup.
posted by rtha at 6:52 PM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
I saw it a couple of weeks ago and it surpassed all my expectations. Crying while going into the theatre? Yup.
posted by rtha at 6:52 PM on May 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
Aaah! All is revealed. Thanks, guys!
Now I'm embarrassed. I'll just pretend my ignorance is because nobody is talking about Hamilton here in Australia...
posted by forza at 6:53 PM on May 30, 2016
Now I'm embarrassed. I'll just pretend my ignorance is because nobody is talking about Hamilton here in Australia...
posted by forza at 6:53 PM on May 30, 2016
and after the cast album, there is so much incredible fan art that just brings the piece to life for those of us who will not be able to see it until it's touring in small market productions.
posted by nadawi at 7:23 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by nadawi at 7:23 PM on May 30, 2016
And there's also the annotated cast recording at Rap Genius which is extensively documented including some notes from Lin-Manuel Miranda. And then also , now, the #Hamiltome, which is both the Manuel-annotated libretto (the show is 99% sung-through, there is only one short spoken scene in the show that is missing from the Original Cast Recording) and the story of how the show was written, developed, and produced.
It's an extraordinarily well-developed and well-documented piece of work, and in particular the fact that you can hear all but about 30 words of the show in the OCR means you can experience the entire show even without seeing the extraordinary staging.
The Internet loves this show, and it is possible to share extensively in the experience anywhere there's an internet connection.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:37 PM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
It's an extraordinarily well-developed and well-documented piece of work, and in particular the fact that you can hear all but about 30 words of the show in the OCR means you can experience the entire show even without seeing the extraordinary staging.
The Internet loves this show, and it is possible to share extensively in the experience anywhere there's an internet connection.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:37 PM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
My first "girlfriend" in junior high was obsessed with 1776.
Reading this, it all makes a hell of a lot more sense now. Too bad it took me 35 years to understand it.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:04 PM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
Reading this, it all makes a hell of a lot more sense now. Too bad it took me 35 years to understand it.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:04 PM on May 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
I still want to see it live, but the odds of me seeing it live are slim to none. Or at least we already covered how other cities are still going to more or less force patrons to pay a thousand bucks for series tickets in another thread. I'd just appreciate if they did film it even if it comes out however later they want.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:43 PM on May 30, 2016
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:43 PM on May 30, 2016
I have somehow managed to convince a bunch of friends here in Seattle to go in with me on season tickets so we can see this in ... 2018. Suckers, all of us, but hey, we'll get to see a bunch of theater in the meantime.
posted by lunasol at 9:51 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by lunasol at 9:51 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
Or you'll resell a bunch of theater tickets in the meantime.
posted by hippybear at 10:14 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 10:14 PM on May 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
Be careful. Studying Hamilton's time can be a gateway drug to comic books.
For more comics relevant to the source material, check out Pete Bagge's Founding Fathers Funnies!
posted by JDC8 at 11:41 PM on May 30, 2016
For more comics relevant to the source material, check out Pete Bagge's Founding Fathers Funnies!
posted by JDC8 at 11:41 PM on May 30, 2016
That made me tear up. This man really gets his daughter. Understands her and loves her, wholly. He understood how much this meant to her and why it was worth every penny.
posted by Omnomnom at 12:45 AM on May 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Omnomnom at 12:45 AM on May 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
It's such a welcome antidote to this FPP that was all "men are much more involved with their families if they have sons, because they don't understand girls like they do boys". And it's all such bullshit and look at this guy and his Hamilton obsessed kid!
posted by Omnomnom at 1:02 AM on May 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Omnomnom at 1:02 AM on May 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
Gods, I love Hamilton. And I love this piece.
I've seen it twice. The second time I found out 2 hours beforehand that I could get face value orchestra tickets for that evening, bc friends of a friend had to give up their tix. I took my 7 year old, who has been obsessed with the soundtrack since it came out. She was vibrating with excitement. The only other time I've seen her so excited was when she was 4 and met Cinderella at Disneyworld. The same thing.
Obviously a 7 year old isn't going to have the same understanding or reaction to the show as a teenager, or an adult. But damn it was absolutely amazing to see it through her eyes, to see what she reacted to and the bits of the show that she found the most moving. When Philip died, she put her head in my lap and sobbed for the next 3 songs (afterward, some very nice, very old school UES matrons approached us to ensure she was OK). But she was pretty much unaffected by the closing number, which chokes me up more every time. The concept of legacy, and "who tells your story" and the loyalty of Eliza isn't so meaningful to her, yet.
But the biggest thing that Hamilton has done for us is just to open up all these avenues of conversation. We talk so much about history in general, especially about women's place in history. She loves Eliza. We talk about her letters and whether she really did burn them because she was mad at Alexander and how women's stories don't get told. I gave her a kids book on women of the Revolutionary period and she finished it in an hour. It's opened up all the conversations about how people in History are just people and they have good things and bad things about them even when we read them as "heroes" or "villians". And so on and so forth.
She's been working on a wax museum project to cap off second grade, researching and being a historical figure. She is Eliza. Of course. She gives a nice little speech about all the things that Eliza did after AHam's death. She told me on the way to school this morning that she just loves talking about history, and politics and can we please go back to the Treasury next time we are in DC visiting Grandma and Grandad so she can see Hamilton's statue again.
Wish I could thank LMM in person.
posted by gaspode at 6:21 AM on May 31, 2016 [28 favorites]
I've seen it twice. The second time I found out 2 hours beforehand that I could get face value orchestra tickets for that evening, bc friends of a friend had to give up their tix. I took my 7 year old, who has been obsessed with the soundtrack since it came out. She was vibrating with excitement. The only other time I've seen her so excited was when she was 4 and met Cinderella at Disneyworld. The same thing.
Obviously a 7 year old isn't going to have the same understanding or reaction to the show as a teenager, or an adult. But damn it was absolutely amazing to see it through her eyes, to see what she reacted to and the bits of the show that she found the most moving. When Philip died, she put her head in my lap and sobbed for the next 3 songs (afterward, some very nice, very old school UES matrons approached us to ensure she was OK). But she was pretty much unaffected by the closing number, which chokes me up more every time. The concept of legacy, and "who tells your story" and the loyalty of Eliza isn't so meaningful to her, yet.
But the biggest thing that Hamilton has done for us is just to open up all these avenues of conversation. We talk so much about history in general, especially about women's place in history. She loves Eliza. We talk about her letters and whether she really did burn them because she was mad at Alexander and how women's stories don't get told. I gave her a kids book on women of the Revolutionary period and she finished it in an hour. It's opened up all the conversations about how people in History are just people and they have good things and bad things about them even when we read them as "heroes" or "villians". And so on and so forth.
She's been working on a wax museum project to cap off second grade, researching and being a historical figure. She is Eliza. Of course. She gives a nice little speech about all the things that Eliza did after AHam's death. She told me on the way to school this morning that she just loves talking about history, and politics and can we please go back to the Treasury next time we are in DC visiting Grandma and Grandad so she can see Hamilton's statue again.
Wish I could thank LMM in person.
posted by gaspode at 6:21 AM on May 31, 2016 [28 favorites]
I posted this in an earlier Hamilton thread (also featuring sports!) but it is worthy of an FPP. Great stuff.
posted by exogenous at 7:26 AM on May 31, 2016
posted by exogenous at 7:26 AM on May 31, 2016
This was a great read, and I'm excited to read that he thinks it truly lives up to the hype (and surpasses it). I was lucky enough to have an amazing wife who when the cast recording came out and I listened to it obsessively, said "well why don't we just buy tickets for like 9 months from now" and did it. I think she paid $150 a piece on resale for seats on the second to last row, and we're getting to go the weekend of July 4th. Apparently the last time she checked the same seats were reselling for over $800. Not to mention the Tony's will happen right before we get to go, and the original cast contract ends at the end of July, I'm worried the price will climb so high that we can't afford not to sell them....
posted by DynamiteToast at 8:53 AM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by DynamiteToast at 8:53 AM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
This: What made Hamilton different, I think, was that in addition to rising up, in addition to surpassing those hopes, it felt familiar too, as if we’d already seen it long ago and are now happily remembering.
Just like my 2-year-old will expect all computers to be voice controlled (you have to hear her say "AWEXA!"), my 5 and 7 year olds understand the founding of our country through the lens of this musical. I'm really interested how the primary and secondary education of the revolutionary war changes over the next 10 years as these kids -- who go to sleep singing "My Shot" into their pillows -- meet up with those gruff Social Studies teachers I remember from elementary.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 5:46 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
Just like my 2-year-old will expect all computers to be voice controlled (you have to hear her say "AWEXA!"), my 5 and 7 year olds understand the founding of our country through the lens of this musical. I'm really interested how the primary and secondary education of the revolutionary war changes over the next 10 years as these kids -- who go to sleep singing "My Shot" into their pillows -- meet up with those gruff Social Studies teachers I remember from elementary.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 5:46 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
I'm worried the price will climb so high that we can't afford not to sell them....
The question is, over the long arc of your life, will the price every truly climb so high that you would regret NOT seeing the show with the original cast? It's rare that theater history actually gets made, and this seems to be one of those very rare times.
I mean, if you can buy a new house with the ticket proceeds, then by all means. That's a fair trade, I would think.
posted by hippybear at 9:20 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
The question is, over the long arc of your life, will the price every truly climb so high that you would regret NOT seeing the show with the original cast? It's rare that theater history actually gets made, and this seems to be one of those very rare times.
I mean, if you can buy a new house with the ticket proceeds, then by all means. That's a fair trade, I would think.
posted by hippybear at 9:20 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Don't sell those tickets! It truly is worth it, I promise. I paid more for my tickets than I ever have for a single event (about $475, purchased in March) and I don't regret it for a second. I actually was idly thinking about trying to go again when I'm in DC for work this month and was taken aback when I saw that tickets are now in the $1,000 range. Glad I went when I did.
posted by lunasol at 5:20 PM on June 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by lunasol at 5:20 PM on June 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
Posnanski's story posted on NBC Sportsworld with an update: In the hours after I posted this essay, I got a notification from Twitter that Lin had tweeted something. Well, he had tweeted this. Whoa. Of course, after he did that, there was a flurry of activity, and the thing went viral and all that. But the key question my wife Margo asked was this: Do we wake up Elizabeth to tell her?
posted by gladly at 6:50 PM on June 2, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by gladly at 6:50 PM on June 2, 2016 [6 favorites]
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posted by kozad at 8:37 AM on May 30, 2016 [3 favorites]