Have you seen Hamilton?

[Coffeemama]

I loved the show! An amazing performance. I'd say the tickets at face value are worth the price. I bought tickets for my family last fall when a new block was released for American Express cardholders. It was one of those deals where you had to be ready to buy the tickets the minute they went on sale. All the Mez level tickets were sold out within 10 minutes. They were about $180 each. It was the best Christmas present ever last year--despite having to wait six months it!

 

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Nm, forgot new yrs resolution

Edited January 11, 2018 by Tibbie Dunbar

[Laura in CA]

I posted the whole story in a recent thread, but yes, I was planning to wait until our local high school does it, but was given the chance to go twice (in SF) and loved it. Hubby even consented to come the second time and he enjoyed it. I wouldn't say it was "life-changing" like some of my cousins did, but I love history and stories and this was so well done. I cry every time when Eliza burns his letters, and the "un-deux-trois" trio (duet?) w/Eliza and their son (don't want to give any spoilers :) ). Oh, and the "It's Quiet Uptown" song is unbelievably sad. King George is a fun comic relief. The energy of the singers and dancers, and the sense of adventure and excitement (& complexity) of young people starting a whole new kind of country is, frankly, just fun. Especially when it's easy to feel depressed about the state of things these days.

 

Oh, but no way was I willing to mortgage the house to go see it. I got "partial view" (cheapest) seats & they were fine. We were fortunate that it was in SF for about 5 months, so people not caught up in the hype (us, friends of ours) could dither and still see it. And, we personally know at least four sets of people who won the lottery in SF and LA, which gives you fantastic seats (the next day) for $10.

Edited January 11, 2018 by Laura in CA

[Laura in CA]

Sorry, dp

Edited January 11, 2018 by Laura in CA

[Lady Florida.]

It goes deeper than just "whites need not apply". It's not the first Broadway show that requires actors of a specific ethnicity because of how it's written or what it says or what it stands for. 

 

https://www.snopes.com/hamilton-non-white-casting-call/

[whitestavern]

Do you ever watch the YouTube series "Elders React To..." where they get a bunch of senior citizens and ask them to comment on pop culture / memes?  They tried Hamilton on that crowd and they were totally aware of it...."Oh isn't this marvelous, I know all about it, it was on 60 Minutes!"

 

It cracked me up because my mom never misses 60 Minutes.  It's a thing with all her friends. 

Just saying, if you were 65-70ish, you would know about it.

 

We bought a gc for my 80 something year old FIL for Christmas a few years ago because he wanted to see it so bad... went on and on about it. I was like, what? Has he heard the music? Does he know what it is like? Of course that was before I knew and fell in love with it, lol. Sadly he died 2 months later, before he was able to go see it.

[MBM]

I live in the Chicago area and might go see it at some point. Been busy, though.

[poppy]

It goes deeper than just "whites need not apply". It's not the first Broadway show that requires actors of a specific ethnicity because of how it's written or what it says or what it stands for.

 

https://www.snopes.com/hamilton-non-white-casting-call/

The Book of Mormon comes to mind as a show where you are probably not going to cast white people to play the African villagers. Or non white actors to play the Mormon men.

 

 

The Color Purple musical —- I can’t see white actors playing lead roles in that either. I could be wrong , I only listened to that one once.

 

For Hamilton, it was never whites need not apply, the singing / dancing troop is colorblind casting . Several biggish roles are played by white actors in the cast recording (Samuel Seabury, Charles Lee). The only ‘non-colorblind casting’ is for the primary roles: Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Washington, Madison, Hamilton’s son and the Schuyler sisters.

Edited January 11, 2018 by poppy

[Seasider]

It goes deeper than just "whites need not apply". It's not the first Broadway show that requires actors of a specific ethnicity because of how it's written or what it says or what it stands for.

 

https://www.snopes.com/hamilton-non-white-casting-call/

Hairspray, anyone?

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

One of the casting calls stated that whites need not apply. Miranda took some heat from the actors’ guild so the notice deleted the words, but Miranda said that he still wouldn’t cast non-hispanic whites.

 

I’ll try to post links.

ETA: I just did a search for “Hamilton not hiring whites†and there are many articles to chose from.

Clearly you are not active in the theatre industry in any way.

[madteaparty]

I am not the show's biggest fan, but it's art. I appreciate how it's increased interest ( especially of our youth and young adults) in the cultural arts. I am very curious to see what influence it will have on the future of musical theater.

This is where I’m at, as well. Hamilton is an industry now.

[Tsuga]

Have you seen it? 

 

 

Did you LOVE it? 

To spend that kind of $ for me it would have to be the best show.

 

 

How much were tickets when you went? 

 

No, but my daughter is a little obsessed. Okay a lot obsessed.

 

We didn't win the lottery, but I absolutely love how they're doing that to prevent reselling, so I have a ton of respect for the show.

 

I would consider it as a Christmas gift for my musical-theater obsessed child and a friend. I love the music. I haven't been this inspired by musical theater possibly ever. It's all so OLD. And I have to say, they bring a passion to American history and the ideas of the revolution that I never felt before. I want to see the production and then watch Les Mis with the kids. To me that would be really interesting and start a great discussion.

[creekland]

It goes deeper than just "whites need not apply". It's not the first Broadway show that requires actors of a specific ethnicity because of how it's written or what it says or what it stands for. 

 

https://www.snopes.com/hamilton-non-white-casting-call/

 

Thanks for posting this.  I figured there was more to the story than the basic line.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing it, but it will be some months before it comes to Rochester.

[edelweiss]

I haven't seen it.  I love to attend Broadway shows, but this one just doesn't interest me.  

[bibiche]

Poor, poor beleaguered whites.

[poppy]

The parts did not require that the actors be non-white; it’s just how he wanted it. It doesn’t surprise me, though, that some of you think that his exclusion of whites was just fine. He has said that he wanted the play to have characters that looked like his neighborhood.

 

So, if an artist decides that they want to tell the stories of Martin Luther King and perhaps Hugo Chavez, but non-whites need not apply because he wants the actors to look like people from his white neighborhood so that he can relate to the stories, you would be okay with that?

 

It’s not good enough for Miranda to say, hey whites can apply, but I’m not going to hire any of them. A truly inclusive cast would have been a beautiful thing, but then it wouldn’t have had the same political message.

 

Have you ever been upset about any other show on Broadway having a "truly inclusive cast?"  or is it just this one?.

 

White actors absolutely dominate Broadway.  Which, you can are about or not, but being super mad about 7 roles seems a bit ..... imbalanced.

 

And once again, there are a whole bunch of white people in the cast.... you can use the 360 feature to

n this video.

 

I remember why people are mad at him, now, his Saturday Night Live performance where he insulted a photo of then-candidate Trump.  Just for context, that was the same week his "grab her by the _____" recording came out, feelings were a bit raw.

[Pam in CT]

Tickets are crazy expensive.  It is a shame theater is out of reach for so many people; and IMHO even more a shame that the structurally sanctioned ticket resale gouging -- what in my high school days was called "hawking," and done by shady characters standing in the rain outside concert venues -- is permitted to persist and flourish.

 

We go to theater whenever we can.  All kinds, the gilded classic Broadway venues,  Off-Off-Off on the lower very-very East side with folding metal chairs, and local theaters in three directions of our CT suburb.

 

We saw Hamilton before it won the MacArthur and prices got out of hand.  Yes, it really is that good.  That CD was the soundtrack OF OUR LIVES for over a year.  

 

 

...

I read the biography that inspired Miranda to write the musical and on that I am willing to call him a genius because the book was incredibly B-O-R-I-N-G.

 

I appreciate the fact that the Hamilton phenomenon has piqued an interest in US history in people who would not normally care about US history but are willing to listen because it is cool/ popular...

 

:lol:

 

Right.  I wouldn't advise letting experience reading Chernow's book dissuade you from the show.  There are... differences.

 

That LMM read that tome, and SAW HIMSELF in it, and thought -- And I know just the medium for this story, a hip hop opera -- yes, that is genius.

 

 

 

When the original cast announced its departure date, we bit the bullet, opened up the secondary market ticket sellers' websites, took out a second mortgage (OK not really but, unconscionable) and saw it again, within days of LMM and Chris Jackson's departure.  The kids chose that over going to Disney.

[SeaConquest]

Poor, poor beleaguered whites.

Right? Cry me a river.

 

Hamilton is in San Diego right now. My husband balked at ticket prices, so I'm stuck entering the Powerball with the rest of the plebes.

 

After visiting Puerto Rico last month, you could really tell how proud they were of his success and grateful for his help in recovery. Love me some LMM.

Edited January 11, 2018 by SeaConquest

[HomeAgain]

The parts did not require that the actors be non-white; it’s just how he wanted it. It doesn’t surprise me, though, that some of you think that his exclusion of whites was just fine. He has said that he wanted the play to have characters that looked like his neighborhood.

 

So, if an artist decides that they want to tell the stories of Martin Luther King and perhaps Hugo Chavez, but non-whites need not apply because he wants the actors to look like people from his white neighborhood so that he can relate to the stories, you would be okay with that?

 

It’s not good enough for Miranda to say, hey whites can apply, but I’m not going to hire any of them. A truly inclusive cast would have been a beautiful thing, but then it wouldn’t have had the same political message.

 

You mean like The Wiz?

 

Or Hamlet?

 

Or Macbeth, done by Orson Wells?

 

 

[Miss Peregrine]

Right? Cry me a river.

 

Hamilton is in San Diego right now. My husband balked at ticket prices, so I'm stuck entering the Powerball with the rest of the plebes.

 

After visiting Puerto Rico last month, you could really tell how proud they were of his success and grateful for his help in recovery. Love me some LMM.

Lottery? How? I'm not far from San Diego.

[SeaConquest]

Lottery? How? I'm not far from San Diego.

Download the Hamilton app. It makes it easy to enter the lottery each day. But, take me if you win. ;)

[Lady Florida.]

 

I read the biography that inspired Miranda to write the musical and on that I am willing to call him a genius because the book was incredibly B-O-R-I-N-G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right.  I wouldn't advise letting experience reading Chernow's book dissuade you from the show.  There are... differences.

 

That LMM read that tome, and SAW HIMSELF in it, and thought -- And I know just the medium for this story, a hip hop opera -- yes, that is genius.

 

 

 

 

 

So apparently LMM and I are the only ones who actually liked the book. At least I'm in good company. :D

 

OTOH, I didn't immediately think "Oh, this would make a great hip hop musical". That's what makes him an artist, and me - well - not an artist.  :lol:

[Pam in CT]

re Chernow's book, and identification with it

So apparently LMM and I are the only ones who actually liked the book. At least I'm in good company. :D

 

OTOH, I didn't immediately think "Oh, this would make a great hip hop musical". That's what makes him an artist, and me - well - not an artist.  :lol:

 

:laugh:

 

Actually, I liked the book fine when it came out, back when I used to have an attention span and was capable of finishing such tomes (sigh).

 

What I didn't do, though, was *see within the bones of Hamilton's life story and psyche, the bones of my own,* and the way that LMM DID...  the plucky immigrant, impatient youth, boundless restless energy, vision of a better world, desperation about a ticking existential clock, recklessness about relationships, and -- particularly, I think these are the strongest scenes in the story -- recognition of mistakes arising out of both haste and arrogance along the way... is why the story is to me GENIUS rather than "very good."  

 

Why do you write like you're running out of time?

 

 

That he read Chernow's depiction of Hamilton ("very good") and saw, not an interesting character developable into a innovative musical, but "OMG that guy is just like ME!!!"

[Miss Peregrine]

Download the Hamilton app. It makes it easy to enter the lottery each day. But, take me if you win. ;)

Deal!

[Lady Florida.]

re Chernow's book, and identification with it

 

:laugh:

 

Actually, I liked the book fine when it came out, back when I used to have an attention span and was capable of finishing such tomes (sigh).

 

What I didn't do, though, was *see within the bones of Hamilton's life story and psyche, the bones of my own,* and the way that LMM DID...  the plucky immigrant, impatient youth, boundless restless energy, vision of a better world, desperation about a ticking existential clock, recklessness about relationships, and -- particularly, I think these are the strongest scenes in the story -- recognition of mistakes arising out of both haste and arrogance along the way... is why the story is to me GENIUS rather than "very good."  

 

Why do you write like you're running out of time?

 

 

That he read Chernow's depiction of Hamilton ("very good") and saw, not an interesting character developable into a innovative musical, but "OMG that guy is just like ME!!!"

 

He's also closer to the immigrant experience than some of us here. Yes, Puerto Ricans are Americans but I don't think anyone could honestly equate moving from Puerto Rico to the Continental U.S. with moving from one state to another. His father, though American, was an immigrant. He also grew up in an immigrant neighborhood. I'm only 3rd generation American and yet I'm much farther removed from that experience than he is. He drew on his knowledge of the immigrants he grew up around for In the Heights obviously, but also for Hamilton.

 

"Immigrants. We get the job done."

[SanDiegoMom]

We haven't seen it yet. Tickets in our area open up in March and I am sooo hoping to be able to afford them. We shall see. 

My daughter started listening to it when she was 15. It took her a whole year to convince us to try it. We finally did - we downloaded it on itunes and omg it was so incredible. We had all memorized it within a month. The younger kids acted out scenes with their friends. It was an obsession.  It was the best writing we have heard in so long - he is absolutely an incredible artist. If they were to perform his songs at the average speed of broadway shows it would take 5-6 hours, that's how packed they are.  

 

I played it on a long car ride for my mom, who's not really into much mainstream music and doesn't keep up with shows. After the last bars ended there was a long moment of silence, and then my mom said "THAT was incredible". My mom, who rarely praises anything, was impressed.  

Yeah, we are huge fans. 

 

My dh and dd have both read the book and loved it. I haven't picked it up yet.

[Pam in CT]

re LMM's proximity to Immigrants, we get the job done

He's also closer to the immigrant experience than some of us here. Yes, Puerto Ricans are Americans but I don't think anyone could honestly equate moving from Puerto Rico to the Continental U.S. with moving from one state to another. His father, though American, was an immigrant. He also grew up in an immigrant neighborhood. I'm only 3rd generation American and yet I'm much farther removed from that experience than he is. He drew on his knowledge of the immigrants he grew up around for In the Heights obviously, but also for Hamilton.

 

"Immigrants. We get the job done."

 

 

Right.  His first (and only other!!! also Tony award-winning!) musical, the first version of which he wrote as a 20-year old still in college (!!), In The Heights, is a total celebration of the Dominican/Puerto Rican neighborhood in which he grew up and still lives.  You can hear in both Alabanza and the finale LMM working out the same preoccupation with legacy that emerges in Hamilton, who lives who dies who tells your story....

 

He's a man with a mission, around the power of stories to transform from we are powerless (best song in Heights IMNSHO) to heal the world.

[Butter]

No, the Wiz characters are make believe, and we’re not taking about Shakespeare’s works either. Hamilton, Chavez, and King are all real, fairly modern, historical figures. Address the core objection. Excluding whites from being hired was and is racist, so I won’t be going to see it. That’s it, basically.

 

Ah.  So you are offended by people who were actually white men being portrayed by someone of some other race.

 

I saw Jesus Christ Superstar on stage when I was a teen.  Caiaphas and Judas were played by black men.  Jesus was played by a very pale blond white guy.  Pretty sure they were all Jewish, but no biggie.  They could sing the roles and that's what mattered.

 

LMM conceived of the musical with black men playing the parts.  It's how he wrote the script.  The characters are black/Hispanic/etc.  It is very common for scripts to call for characters to be of a certain race.  That's not racist.  That's how the writer "saw" the characters.

 

If you are not going to hire a white person to play Burr, Jefferson, Hamilton, etc. then it would make sense to say whites should not apply.  Basically, it would be a waste of time for all involved.  This is VERY common in the theater world when they want someone of a specific race to play a character.

 

(ETA: And there ARE white people in Hamilton's cast.)

Edited January 11, 2018 by Butter

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

LMM conceived of the musical with black men playing the parts.  It's how he wrote the script.  The characters are black/Hispanic/etc.  It is very common for scripts to call for characters to be of a certain race.  That's not racist.  That's how the writer "saw" the characters.

 

 

 

 

A play in the genre of historical realism telling the story of the founding fathers would require that the actors playing the lead roles be white. This play is a musical that weaves together the experiences of immigrants/people of color with the stories of America's founding, holding the tensions of the universal ideas with the irony of how that has played out historically. It doesn't require color-blind casting any more that the historical realist play would. The lead roles are cast as non-white because that is part of the vision of the play. You can decide that's not a vision you're interested in seeing, of course.

 

And, as multiple people have pointed out, whites are not excluded from being hired. There are white people in the cast.

 

 

Exactly. As LMM himself said numerous times it's the story of America then told by America now. 

 

Here he is discussing the reasons for casting. It's an interview in the UK from when it opened in the West End but he clearly explains his reasoning. It's hard to understand why anyone doesn't get it, says this white middle class senior citizen woman. 

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/entertainment-arts-42464676/hamilton-creator-it-s-a-story-of-america-then-told-by-america-now

[creekland]

The parts did not require that the actors be non-white; it’s just how he wanted it. It doesn’t surprise me, though, that some of you think that his exclusion of whites was just fine. He has said that he wanted the play to have characters that looked like his neighborhood.

 

So, if an artist decides that they want to tell the stories of Martin Luther King and perhaps Hugo Chavez, but non-whites need not apply because he wants the actors to look like people from his white neighborhood so that he can relate to the stories, you would be okay with that?

 

It’s not good enough for Miranda to say, hey whites can apply, but I’m not going to hire any of them. A truly inclusive cast would have been a beautiful thing, but then it wouldn’t have had the same political message.

 

To me it depends upon the reasoning of it all - in any situation.  If it were the KKK doing it, no, I'd choose not to see it.  If it were an artist trying to make a good point then I'd be fine with it.  I see Hamilton fitting the latter and not the former.

 

I think it's perfectly fine to have folks of any race, and in some cases gender, playing historical roles in the past.  I don't think we need to be limiting options.  In this case there's a totally different view he's trying to get across.  I'm ok with that.  I don't see it as racist at all.

[Word Nerd]

No, the Wiz characters are make believe, and we’re not taking about Shakespeare’s works either. Hamilton, Chavez, and King are all real, fairly modern, historical figures. Address the core objection. Excluding whites from being hired was and is racist, so I won’t be going to see it. That’s it, basically.

 

Is excluding non-whites from being cast as King George racist?

[J-rap]

To me it depends upon the reasoning of it all - in any situation.  If it were the KKK doing it, no, I'd choose not to see it.  If it were an artist trying to make a good point then I'd be fine with it.  I see Hamilton fitting the latter and not the former.

 

I think it's perfectly fine to have folks of any race, and in some cases gender, playing historical roles in the past.  I don't think we need to be limiting options.  In this case there's a totally different view he's trying to get across.  I'm ok with that.  I don't see it as racist at all.

 

I agree.  And also, I think it's perfectly fine to bend the political rules a bit for groups who have not had the same opportunities in the past.

[J-rap]

I'd love to get my ds tickets when they come to our state.  I'm on a notification list when they're available.  I'd love to see it too, but maybe not for the ticket price they're asking.  I'd pay it for my ds though because he loves the arts and great shows and I'm sure he would love it.

[4kidlets4me]

I have tickets to see it in Seattle in March and can't wait!! We've been obsessed with it for ages, it still plays on repeat multiple times a week. I follow Lin on social media and every day his posts inspire and excite me. He deserves every award and accolade he has received, he truly is a genius. I can't wait to see what he does next.

[poppy]

The idea was the kids of any race could identify with the early American ‘founding fathers.’ Having a cast that would exclude black , Asian and Latino actors .... I’m trying to imagine how that would improve the show . I mean every kid has already seen these historical figures and knows they’re white - it’s no secret. It’s on the currency .

 

I guess they’d be able to cast black actors to play the slaves when Jefferson visits Monticello? But , they couldn’t, since the supporting cast all plays multiple roles over a 40 year story . They could hire black actors just for that one small scene, I guess. Is that an improvement and less racist?

[NoseInABook]

Yes, I saw it when it opened in Chicago. I didn't pay for the tickets so I'm not sure how much they were. I love the show and think Miranda is doing some wonderful things.

[whitestavern]

I just checked to see the closest performance to me, and it is Cleveland. I'd get tickets for it, if they were even remotely affordable, even though it's an 11 hour drive :lol:

[AmandaVT]

I'd like to see it someday. I had a fleeting thought of taking DH for his 50th this year, but then saw that tickets range from $500-$2000/seat and quickly rethought! 

[lewber]

I saw it in Chicago and I'd love to see it again if I ever get the chance. I thought it was amazing and creative and genius. I always wonder about the people who saw it before we all knew the hoopla of a hip hop history musical. By the time I saw it, I knew the idea behind it and all the music. It would have been so exciting to see that opening number with no idea what you were getting into. 

[creekland]

Therein lies the basic problem: the thinking that it’s now okay for certain people to be racist. It’s a PC double starndard and hypocritical.

 

So you're saying you think because the Founding Fathers of this country weren't racially diverse that diverse actors now should never be allowed to play their parts - even when it's known to be theater and the goal is to produce a different twist to the story and not a documentary?

 

If that's it, then I disagree.  If I'm not stating your thoughts correctly, I'd appreciate knowing what you were trying to say.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Therein lies the basic problem: the thinking that it’s now okay for certain people to be racist. It’s a PC double starndard and hypocritical.

 

I've ever heard another person anywhere say it's racist for a director or playwright to cast the characters according to the play - in keeping with their artistic vision, if they're the playwright, or just "this is the role" if they're the director.

 

You are literally the only person on the planet whom I've ever heard of, who wants all plays rewritten or recast for equal stage time for all (races? ethnicities? nationalities? genders? ages? sizes? how far are you taking this?) or else you think it's racist. 

 

This is not an educated or logical position, Fifiruth. 

[HomeAgain]

No, the Wiz characters are make believe, and we’re not taking about Shakespeare’s works either. Hamilton, Chavez, and King are all real, fairly modern, historical figures. Address the core objection. Excluding whites from being hired was and is racist, so I won’t be going to see it. That’s it, basically.

 

It must make you extremely uncomfortable, then, that Jesus is nearly always portrayed as a white man.

[J-rap]

Therein lies the basic problem: the thinking that it’s now okay for certain people to be racist. It’s a PC double starndard and hypocritical.

 

I understand your point.  And for the record, I actually don't think it's wrong for a director to choose an all-white cast if it's appropriate to the story or serves a particular purpose either.  But I believe that when you're trying to build an equal balance in an atmosphere that is especially sensitive or hurting, one side might need to give a little more or be a little more careful than necessary for awhile, and that's okay.  

[poppy]

I understand your point.  And for the record, I actually don't think it's wrong for a director to choose an all-white cast if it's appropriate to the story or serves a particular purpose either.  But I believe that when you're trying to build an equal balance in an atmosphere that is especially sensitive or hurting, one side might need to give a little more or be a little more careful than necessary for awhile, and that's okay.  

 

 

Directors specific white roles sometimes.    It's normal, and accepted, and not controversial when it's appropriate for the role. It's also not controversial when Asian actors are required to play roles in The King and I. It's not controversial when African American actors are required for August Wilson productions.  If you look at a casting call, you will see it often has a specific ethnic or racial background are required.  I truly think the furor over Hamilton is more to do with politics than theater.

[J-rap]

Directors specific white roles sometimes.    It's normal, and accepted, and not controversial when it's appropriate for the role. It's also not controversial when Asian actors are required to play roles in The King and I. It's not controversial when African American actors are required for August Wilson productions.  If you look at a casting call, you will see it often has a specific ethnic or racial background are required.  I truly think the furor over Hamilton is more to do with politics than theater.

 

I agree.

[Pam in CT]

re race, artistic vision and plot itself:

Directors specific white roles sometimes.    It's normal, and accepted, and not controversial when it's appropriate for the role. It's also not controversial when Asian actors are required to play roles in The King and I. It's not controversial when African American actors are required for August Wilson productions.  If you look at a casting call, you will see it often has a specific ethnic or racial background are required.  I truly think the furor over Hamilton is more to do with politics than theater.

 

 

Of course.  Some great stories are universal; others are particular.  Colorblind casting for universal stories makes all the sense in the world.

 

 

And others are particular.  August Wilson's plays, Raisin in the Sun, Color Purple, (plugging here for an up-and-coming, reminds-me-of-LMM young playwright to keep an eye out for) Too Heavy for Your Pocket -- these plays *are specifically about the black experience.*  West Side Story and In the Heights are specifically Latino.

 

Most of Shakespeare's plays speak universally, but a couple of them are, undeniably, particular.  Othello has to be black, Desdemona has to be white; *that's the plot line.*  Ditto the white missionaries and black Ugandan villagers in Book of Mormon.  

 

 

An explicit theme in Hamilton (particularly its depiction of George Washington) is the tension between the founding fathers' soaring unversially-stated ideals, and their actual, race-constrained truths.  The story of America then, as told by Americans today, in today's musical language.  That's the vision.  It is a *particular,* not universal, artistic vision.

 

 

I remember watching a 60 Minutes feature early in the (original, Off-Broadway) Public Theater run, and Daveed Diggs (the Renaissance Man gifted, hilarious, original creator of the Lafayette/Jefferson role) said something to the effect of, working through this story, with these black and brown people -- it's the first time in my life I've ever truly felt American.

 

That is something powerful and precious and healing to folks who've been marginalized by race.  Even if it somewhat rankles some folks who never have been and do not much want to think about it.

[Word Nerd]

I truly think the furor over Hamilton is more to do with politics than theater.

I agree.

[creekland]

 I truly think the furor over Hamilton is more to do with politics than theater.

 

Spot on.

[Garga]

I saw it in Chicago and I'd love to see it again if I ever get the chance. I thought it was amazing and creative and genius. I always wonder about the people who saw it before we all knew the hoopla of a hip hop history musical. By the time I saw it, I knew the idea behind it and all the music. It would have been so exciting to see that opening number with no idea what you were getting into.

 

I’ve never heard the music, and until about 5 minutes ago, reading in this thread, I never knew it was hip hop. I don’t really know what it’s about at all. I mean, I can tell it’s about the Founding Fathers, but until this thread, I didn’t know about the race of the cast or the vision of the story. Actually...I didn’t know it was about the founding fathers. I figured Alexander Hamilton was who it was about, but I still have no clue what it’s *about.*

 

If the tickets weren’t hundreds per ticket and totally out of reach for me, I’d buy a couple and go without listening to anything else about the show so I could experience it cold. I prefer not knowing anything about a movie before I see it and letting it unravel, so it would be fun.

 

But since this show is out of reach for me, I’m going to head over to youtube and listen to the soundtrack tomorrow. DH is trying to sleep now, so it’ll have to be tomorrow. :). And then I’ll see if I can find the plot on wikipedia so I can find out what it’s about.

Edited January 12, 2018 by Garga

[Pam in CT]

I’ve never heard the music, and until about 5 minutes ago, reading in this thread, I never knew it was hip hop. I don’t really know what it’s about at all. I mean, I can tell it’s about the Founding Fathers, but until this thread, I didn’t know about the race of the cast or the vision of the story. Actually...I didn’t know it was about the founding fathers. I figured Alexander Hamilton was who it was about, but I still have no clue what it’s *about.*

 

If the tickets weren’t hundreds per ticket and totally out of reach for me, I’d buy a couple and go without listening to anything else about the show so I could experience it cold. I prefer not knowing anything about a movie before I see it and letting it unravel, so it would be fun.

 

But since this show is out of reach for me, I’m going to head over to youtube and listen to the soundtrack tomorrow. DH is trying to sleep now, so it’ll have to be tomorrow. :). And then I’ll see if I can find the plot on wikipedia so I can find out what it’s about.

 

 

If you're interested in the storyline, the cast recording CD (or downloading the music) is a very accessible way to get it.  There are (literally) no spoken words, so all but ~90 seconds of the live show (a single, wrenching, unexpected scene) is on the CD.  

 

(And it has the lyrics, some of which fly by kinda fast for those of us of a certain age, lol...)