Thursday, December 22, 2016

NYC | Review | Hamilton

I did it. I went to New York City and saw Hamilton. It wasn't cheap and the tickets weren't easy to get, but Margie and I did it.

If you believe the buzz about Hamilton, the show's practically the second coming of Christ and Lin-Manuel Miranda is either John the Baptist or the angel. Hip hop isn't my forte, but the show is catchy. So what is it like without its star? If I didn't hear so many people talking about it before the show started, I wouldn't have noticed a difference. Javier Muñoz is good as Alexander Hamilton. Really good.

This show works really well because of its ensemble. You feel a really strong current of energy throughout. When you get to songs like "What'd I Miss" and "Blow It All Away," it makes you want to stand up and cheer sometimes.

I sometimes read arguments about mixed-race casting and shows not being able to run because the writer wanted more white people or fewer white people. Hamilton's a good illustration that actors' skin color doesn't matter. If it's a good work and a good performance, the suspension of disbelief kicks in and you overlook whether one person has lighter or darker skin, or if they have a little bit of an accent or not.

Strongly recommended – but buy your tickets well in advance. No one needs a scalper.